MODERN 
THEOSOPHY 

WHENCE?  WHAT?  WHITHER? 


SL.OAN 


BP  575  .S56  1922 
Sloan,  Mersene  Elon. 
Demonosophy  unmasked  in 
modern  theosophy 


DEMONOSOPHY    UNMASKsd        ^^'^'  37  1923 


IN 


MODERN  THEOSOPHY 

WHENCE?  WHAT?  WHITHER? 


An  Exposition  and  a  Refutation 
WITH  Corrective  Bible  Teaching 


BY  / 

MERSENE  ELON    SLOAN 

Editor  and  Bible  Teacher 


SECOND   EDITION   OF  ABRIDGED  TEXT 
REVISED   AND   ENLARGED 


XHE    VC^AY    RRESS 

Saint  Paul,  Minnesota 


That  we  may  not  be  overreached  by  Satan ;  for  we 
are  not  ignorant  of  his  devices.     — //  Cor.  2:11. 

There  will  be  false  teachers  among  you,  who  will 
privately  introduce  destructive  heresies,  even  de- 
nying the  sovereign  Lord  who  bought  them,  bring- 
ing on  themselves  swift  destruction.  And  many 
will  follow  their  impurities ;  on  account  of  whom 
the  way  of  truth  will  be  reviled ;  and  in  covetous- 
ness  with  deceitful  words  they  will  make  gain  of 
you ;  whose  judgment  of  old  does  not  linger,  and 
their  destruction  does  not  slumber. — //  Pet.  2:1-3. 

Maintaining  the  true  word  in  his  teaching,  so  that 
he  may  be  able  both  to  exhort  by  the  sound  in- 
struction, and  to  confute  the  opposers.  For  there 
are  many  unruly  persons,  foolish  talkers  and  de- 
ceivers, .  .  whom  it  is  necessary  to  silence ;  who 
overturn  whole  families,  teaching  for  sordid  gain 
what  is  not  proper.  —Titus  1:9-11. 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
THE    VC^AY    PRESS 


PREFACE 

The  prophet  Malachi  [3:5]  said  that  one  of  the 
special  works  of  Messiah  would  be  "swift  testi- 
mony against  the  sorcerers,"  and  it  was  so  ful- 
filled. For  some  reason,  the  church,  in  continu- 
ing the  work  of  Christ,  has  largely  neglected  this 
phase  of  needed  testimony,  until,  disguised  un- 
der other  names,  it  goes  little  recognized  or  re- 
buked, and  has  actually  invaded  many  individual 
churches.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  sor- 
cery is  a  large  element  in  the  modern  revivals  of 
oriental  paganism  and  the  psychic  religions  that 
are  fad-rampant  in  this  hour — the  "mystery  of 
iniquity"  posing  as  science  and  philosophy. 

Among  the  cults  of  this  nature,  c«ne  of  the 
most  subtle,  active  and  disastrous  is  Modern 
Theosophy.  Current  literature  abounds  in  en- 
ticing and  deceptive  sentiments  adopted  from 
theosophic  teaching,  directly  or  as  corollaries, 
and  of  which  readers  do  not  know  the  origin  or 
significance.  In  this  way,  as  well  as  openly,  does 
the  propaganda  go  on  slyly,  undermining  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  substituting  the  "doctrines  of  de- 
mons," until,  as  a  leading  theosophist  said,  "the 


2    Preface  Modern 

ideas  of  theosophy  now  pervade  individual  life, 
literature,  the  pulpit,  the  stage,  and  many  socie- 
ties and  organizations." 

Not  many  realize  how  true  this  is.  The  inva- 
sion has  been  so  covered  by  pretensions  of  inter- 
est in  the  cause  of  truth  that  it  has  not  been  prop- 
erly recognized  and  repelled.  Much  theosophic 
literature,  both  labeled  and  disguised,  is  put  in- 
to our  public  and  school  libraries,  our  book  shops, 
and  offered  freely  to  any  who  will  read.  News- 
papers and  periodicals  are  adroitly  worked  into 
the  service  of  promoting  the  cause,  with  articles 
and  news  items  which,  while  omittuig  the  word 
theosophy,  give  favorable  impression  of  certain 
of  the  catchy  and  subtle  doctrines.  A  theosophic 
journal  became  so  bold  as  to  advise  school  teach- 
ers to  work  the  propaganda  quieily  among  their 
pupils.  Free  lectures  are  given,  to  which  the 
public  is  invited.  Worst  of  all,  the  pernicious 
principles  have  infected  not  a  few  churches,  un- 
til even  evangelical  pulpits  teach  them. 

In  all  history,  there  have  been  strange  admix- 
tures, of  materialism  and  mysticism  in  thought 
and  in  systems  of  doctrine.  The  present  is  call- 
ed a  materialistic  age,  yet  at  no  time,  probably, 
have  certain  forms  of  mysticism  and  spiritism 
been  more  in  evidence,  nor  so  well  disguised  un- 
der a  phraseology  so  closely  imitative  of  truth 
as  to  mislead,  if  possible,  the  very  elect.    True 


Theosophy  Style     3 

light  and  knowledge  are  in  the  world  as  never 
before,  and  by  their  side  the  flicker  of  an  imita- 
tion that  boasts  the  name  of  gnosis  until  many 
are  deceived  by  it. 

This  book  is  much  abridged  from  the  original 
manuscript,  offering  only  an  outline  for  popular 
use.  The  element  of  c-ccultism,  which  is  a  large 
item  in  the  theoscphic  system,  is  mostly  reserved 
for  the  more  complete  edition  to  follow.  Certain 
of  the  oriental  features  which  appeal  to  some 
minds  with  their  jargon  of  mysterious-locking 
words,  names  and  phrases  that  make  a  show  of 
wisdom,  are  quite  overlooked.  It  is  not  the  in- 
tention to  display  academic  knowledge.  The  sub- 
ject is  too  serious  and  dangerous  to  handle  use- 
fully other  than  in  simple  directness  in  language 
that  is  clear  to  all.-  And  it  is  handled  with  bare 
hands;  for  gloves  are  too  soft  for  such.  The 
former  edition  was  pronounced  "incisively  crit- 
ical," and  it  is  intended  to  be  such.  The  writer 
has  made  extensive  study  of  the  subject,  has 
been,  by  force  of  circumstances,  a  close  observer 
of  its  working,  and  has  personally  suffered  from 
its  inroad  into  his  own  family.  He  has  had  more 
than  half  a  century  of  actual  experience  with 
the  spiritistic  and  occult,  and  knows  just  what 
he  is  saying  when  he  undertakes  the  discussion. 
The  book  is  not  written  in  the  abstract  style,  but 
■  in  personal  testimiony ;  in  modesty,  yet  in  the  as- 


4    Preface  Modern 

surance  of  having  the  authority  of  first-hand 
knowledge,  therefore  not  apologetic.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  little  book  may  be  useful  in  warning  and 
guidance  amid  the  snares  and  pitfalls  that  en- 
danger every  pilgrim  who  seeks  the  spiritual 
way. 


For  our  wrestling  is  not  with 
blood  and  flesh,  but  with  the 
governments,  with  the  author- 
ities, with  the  world-rulers  of 
this  darkness,  with  the  spirit- 
ual   forces   of    wickedness   in 

THE  HEAVENLIES.  — Eph.  6:12, 


Theosophy  Contents     5 

CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 9 

PART  I.  Whence? 

ORIGIN  AND    DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  CULT    .      14 
Founders.   A  Russian  Thistle :  Blavatsky's  life,  char- 
acter, claims,  work.    The  Thibetan  Story.    Religion 
of  Thibet.  In  America.  Spiritistic  affiliations.  A  De- 
velopment of  Spiritism.    Leaders.    Significance. 

PART  II.   What? 

FALSE  PRETENSES 29 

Revived  Paganism  and  Gnosticism. 

DENIAL   OF   DOGMA   OR   CREED   .  .  .31 

Pledges.    Presumptuous  claims. 

THE   CREED 34 

Universal  brotherhood.   Study  of  Comparative  reli- 
gion.   Occultism. 

THE   DOCTRINES 41 

Alleged  sources:  Ancient  writings,  Astral  records, 
Mahatmas,  Self-illumination. 

God  and  Creation    .  .  .  .  .47 

Pantheism,  emanations  and  evolution  vs.  tran- 
scendence, creation  and  development.  Alleged 
ignorance  of  God. 

What  Is  Man? 49 

Discamate  pre-existence.    Refuted. 

Reincarnation  .  .  .  .  .51 

"  Central  truth"  of  Theosophy.  Contrary  to  Scrip- 
ture. No  proof.  Argument  from  consciousness 
and  memory.    Denied  at  first. 


6     Contents  Modern 

Karma  .  .  .  .  .  .  .55 

"Second  truth"  of  Theosophy.  Defined.  How 
administered.  Excludes  forgiveness.  Denies  Jesus 
Christ  and  makes  prayer  a  mockery.  Alleged  su- 
premacy of  mahatmas.     Gospel  contrast. 

Atonement  and  Regeneration       .  .  .57 

Opposed  to  Christian  teaching.     Foolish  claims. 

Sin,  matter  and  evil.    Nirvana.    No  Devil.    Fall  of 

m.an.     Regeneration. 
On  the  Bible  .  .  .  .  .63 

"  Sacred  literatures  of  world."    Scrap-book  theory. 

About  Jesus  Christ  .  .  .  .  .65 

Importance  of  attitude  towards  him.  Theosophic 
interpretation  and  ancient  heresies.  Incarnation 
not  "possession."  Separating  Jesus  and  Christ. 
The  lie  called. 

On  Prayer      .  .  .  .  .  .69 

Personality  and  prayer.  Sample.  Will-prayer. 
Praying  to  self. 

On  Death        .  .  .  .  .  .72 

Night-life.     Friend.     Christian  view. 
OCCULTISM  AND   PSYCHISM  .  .  .75 

Power  and  psychic  righteousness.    Dangerous  study. 

Occult  materialism.  Disguised  spiritism.  True  other- 

worldness.    Short  cuts  vs.  growth.  Faith  vs.  magic. 

The  "astral  plane"  .  .  .  .83 

"Summer  Land."     Spooks.     "Astral"  journeys. 

Clairvoyance  .  .  .  .  .86 

Sight  vs.  faith.    Delusions.    Visions.    Rudiments. 

Fascination     .  .  .  .  .  .90 

Serpent's  eye.  Mystery  religions.  Psychic  influ- 
ence and  intoxication.  "Magnetism."  Etheric 
currents.  Scripture  teaching.  Powers  of  the  air. 
Telepathy.     Science  deluded. 


Theosoptiy  Contents     7 

THE   CHRIST'S   SECOND    COMING  .  .      97 

Perversion.    A  plain  lie.    Artful  cunning. 
THE   NEW   RELIGION  .  .  .  .101 

Unrest.    Proposed  remedy.     Significant  signs. 
MAGIC   PUT   ABOVE   JESUS    CHRIST         .  .104 

Insult  and  anarchy  towards  Jesus  Christ.     A  spew 

from  the  pit.     "  Esoteric  "  part  of  theosophic  system. 

PART  III.   Whither? 

DOCTRINE   DIRECTS   PRACTICE     .  .  .106 

Basis  of  morality.  How  tolerance  works.  True  tol- 
erance. Effect  of  doctrine  of  Karma.  Hardness  vs. 
Christian  .sympathy.  Magic  helpfulness.  "  With- 
out natural  affection."     Ruined  homes. 

THE  "LIFE   THEOSOPHIC."  .  .  .    115 

Bondage  to  superstition.    Materialistic  spirituality! 

Christian  better  way  of  freedom. 
DEIFICATION   OF   MAN  .  .  .  .118 

"As  gods."     Self  supreme.     Man  the  center. 
EQUALITY 120 

Exaggerations  of  spiritism.      Trades-unionism  and 

female  suffrage. 
DEIFICATION   OF   WOMAN   .  .  .  .123 

Logical  step.    "  Female  Principle."    Satan's  reward. 

"Father-Mother  god."      Abstractions  and  fictions. 

Result  of  feminism. 

AFFINITY   AND   MARRIAGE  .  .  .127 

Pagan  theory  of  duality.  "  Soul  marriage."  Spirit- 
ism perverts  marriage  and  sex  expression. 

DIABOLISM   OF   MODERN   THEOSOPHY    .  .     131 

Ultimate  work  of  the  system.  Antediluvian  condi- 
tions. Evil  powers.  Demonic  obsession  and  posses- 
sion.   Adeptship.    Mask  exposed.    Mediumship. 


8     Contents  Modern 

Initiation-Regeneration      .  .  .  .135 

"  Re-births."  Caricatures.  Pagan  initiations.  Evo- 
lution hastened.    Christian  contrasts. 

Yoga 139 

Hindrances.   Passivity.   Principal  practices.  Dan- 
gers.   Lure  to  women.    "  Lord  of  yogis." 

New  Consciousness  .  .  .  .  .146 

"  Sixth  sense."    Warning.    Demon  incarnations. 
Initiatory  Trials      .....    149 
Tests.     Haste.     Christian  contrasts. 

MEDIUMSHIP  THE  THEOSOPHIC  AT-ONE-MENT      153 
Union  of  human  and  demon  consciousness.  Dangers. 

DEVELOPMENT   OF   PSYCHIC   POWERS   .  .    155 

Jude  nineteen.    "  Psychology."    Warning. 

SEXUAL   PERVERSIONS         .  .  .157 

Pagan  pretenses.  Hindu  pious  immorality.  Trend 
of  false  religions.  Gnostic  attempts.  Moses  and  the 
broken  tablets.  Pernicious  books.  Unclean  spirits. 
Anakim.  Medical  testimony.  Paganized  American 
Christendom.     Particeps  criminis.     Result. 

MULTIPLE   PERSONALITY    .  .  .  .166 

Wise  seekers.  "Riddle  of  personality."  Subcon- 
scious and  other  minds.    Demonic  possession. 

MAN   OF   SIN   AND   ANTICHRIST  .  '  .172 

Climax  of  evil.  World-harvest.  Irenaeus  quoted. 
Pope  not  Antichrist.    Seiss  and  Andrews  quoted. 

CONCLUSION 182 

Dangers.    Warnings.    Deduction. 
APPENDIX 185 

Personal  testimony.      Jesus  not  an  Essene.      The 

Silence.    The  Drama. 

Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words  which  you  have  heard  from 
me,  in  that  faith  and  love  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  2  Tim.  1:13 


Theosophy  Conglomerate  System    9 


MODERN   THEOSOPHY 

WHENCE?  WHAT?   WHITHER? 


Proposition  :  Modern  Theosophy  is  a  system  of  subtle, 
evolved  and  ripened  Demonosophy  mas- 
querading under  a  stolen  and  misused 
title. 

INTRODUCTION    ' 

In  its  ancient  form,  theosophy  was  a  speculative 
attempt  to  explain  the  universe  and  the  nature  of 
the  Supreme  Being  by  a  peculiar  dreamy  mysti- 
cism. It  was  too  subtle  to  receive  popular  notice; 
and  was  restricted  to  adventuresome  philoso- 
phers. Modern  Theosophy  exploits  in  a  more  pop- 
ular way  some  of  the  old  philosophy  mixed  with 
other  elements,  especially  spiritism.  Like  its  old 
forerunner,  Gnosticism,  it  is  professedly  an  at- 
tempt to  form  an  eclectic,  universal,  philosophi- 
cal religion  by  an  amalgamation  of  selected  ele- 
ments from  all  systems.  The  literature  of  Bud- 
dhism and  Brahmanism  supplies  the  terminology, 
and  the  doctrines  are  a  Icose  conglomeration 
from  the  religions  of  India,  Egypt,  Persia  and 
Greece  ;  the  Jewish  Cabala ;  occultism,  magic,  and 
spiritistic   revelations.     It   uses    some    Christian 


10     Literature  Modern 

phraseolc-gy,  and  pretends  to  be  a  higher  devel- 
opment of  Christianity  than  is  orthodoxy,  but  is 
the  very  antithesis  of  it.  Professing  to  offer  the 
clearest  and  brighest  light,  wisdom,  peace,  hope 
and  liberty,  its  appeal  is  to  those  who  are  disturb- 
ed in  their  religious  thinking,  and  so  are  pecul- 
iarly susceptible  to  influences  that  make  a  show 
of  knowledge  hidden  in  mystery.  Yet,  among 
the  most  advanced  theosophists,  there  is  the  most 
absurd  credulity  and  superstition,  expressed  in 
words  that  deceive  the  deluded  until  they  reject 
all  evidence  of  fraud. 

The  literature  of  the  cult  is  full  of  pretentious 
words  that  are  vain  wind,  useless  and  senseless, 
teaching  fictions  that  were  exposed  ages  ago.  It 
would  be  worse  than  a  waste  of  time  to  bother 
with  the  thing,  but  for  the  fact  that  many  who 
have  not  been  taught  are  being  mislead.  When 
current  literature  is  full  of  the  poison,  artfully 
disguised,  there  is  need  of  specific  warning. 

The  oriental  character  of  theosophical  teach- 
ings is  in  accord  with  all  mysticism  and  spirit- 
ism— they  have  a  common  source.  Isaiah  [2  :5,  6] 
refers  to  the  bringing  of  such  corrupting  influ- 
ences from  the  orient  to  the  Jews  in  his  time, 
saying : 

Oh  house  of  Jacob,  come  let  us  walk  in  the  light 
of  the  Lord.  Therefore  thou  hast  forsaken  thy 
people,   the   house   of  Jacob,   because   they   are 


Theosophy  Early  Writers     11 

filled  from  the  East,  and  are  sorcerers  like  the 
Philistines,  and  with  the  children  of  strangers 
they  unite   themselves. 

Here  was  an  ancient  attempt  to  combine  the  true 
religion  with  an  importation  from  the  orient. 
It  was  disastrous.  God  stood  aloof  from  His 
people  while  the  thing  lasted;  for  He  can  never 
endorse  or  tolerate  falsehood  or  the  demionism  of 
oriental,  or  any  other,  spiritism.  It  is  so  today, 
and  the  answer  to  Christendom's  present  turmoil 
of  trouble  is  the  same  as  embodied  in  Isaiah's 
plea  that  Israel  would  turn  from  those  delusions 
of  darkness  to  the  light  of  God's  truth.  As  then, 
so  now  sorcery  is  a  conspicuous  item  in  spirit- 
istic cults,  of  which  Theosophy  is  one. 

Early  Christian  writings  were  largely  directed 
against  spiritistic  and  mystical  doctrines  profes- 
sing to  be  improved  interpretations  of  Christian- 
ity. Irenjeus,  who  died  in  190  A.  D.,  vigorously 
opposed  and  exposed  Gnosticism,  of  which  Mod- 
ern Theosophy  is  largely  a  revival.  It  is  said 
that  a  certain  book  on  Gnosticism  helped  Madam 
Blavatsky  to  invent  her  system  of  doctrine. 

Irenseus  exposed  the  heresy  of  a  certain  Mar- 
cus [active  about  175  A.  D.]  who  by  magical 
imposture,  drew  many  away  from  the  Christian 
faith,  as  Theosophists  do  now.  The  claims  of 
]^.Iarcus  were  almost  identical  with  those  of  the 
present  cult.     Irenaeus  says  of  various  heresies 


12    Impudence  Modern 

that  teachers  were  sent  forth  by  Satan  pretending 
to  teach  a  higher  Christianity,  while  negativing 
the  real  in  practice,  in  order  to  make  people  think 
all  to  be  like  themselves,  and  so  reject  Christiani- 
ty as  a  delusion.  They  sought  to  bring  the  church 
into  public  contempt  by  pretending  to  be  Chris- 
tians, while  practicing  immoralities  under  the 
sanction  of  doctrines  proclaimed  as  Christian. 
Theosophists  and  other  spiritists  now  have  the 
impudence  to  assert  that  Christianity  is  a  per- 
verted fabrication  of  that  Gnosticism !  They  as- 
sume all  people  to  be  blind  fools — and  they  find 
many  who  are  willing  to  respond  to  that  rating 
by  accepting  their  teachings ! 

TertuUian,  another  early  writer,  said  that  such 
heresies  tend  to  pride  and  lawlessness,  which  we 
shall  find  to  be  true  of  Theosophy.  He  also 
said: 

Heretics  are  given  to  consulting  with  magicians, 
mountebanks,  astrologers,  philosophers;  and  the 
reason  is,  that  they  are  men  who  devote  them- 
selves to  curious  questions  [occultism,  psychical 
research,  psychology,  astrology,  palmistry,  etc.] 
"Seek  and  ye  shall  find,"  is  everywhere  in  their 
minds.  Thus  from  the  very  nature  of  their  con- 
duct may  be  estimated  the  quality  of  their  faith. 

Seeking  was  good  before  the  truth  was  reveal- 
ed, but  afterwards  it  is  evil ;  for  it  is  a  repudia- 
tion of  the  truth  given.  Ignoring  what  is  al- 
ready at  hand,  and  seeking  for  something  else, 


Theosophy  Seeking  Strange  Fires     13 

is  to  invite  deceptions.  Gcd  cannot  respond  to 
such  seeking ;  for  it  is  not  of  faith,  but  of  doubt. 
Only  deceiving  spirits  can  respond — which  they 
are  ready  to  do,  and  so  the  seekers  fall  into  a 
trap  of  their  own  setting.  This  is  true  of  The- 
osophy and  of  every  other  cult  of  professional 
truth-seekers  that  ignores  and  repudiates  the  al- 
ready fully  revealed  things  of  God.  This  can 
not  be  emphasized  too  strongly  today,  when  peo- 
ple almost  generally  are  ignoring  their  Bibles  and 
running  after  all  manner  of  new-thoughters  and 
new  teachers,  seeking  after  strange  fires  and  mys- 
terious phenomena  of  spiritistic  delusions. 


God,  having  anciently  spoken  in  many  portions 
and  by  various  methods  to  the  fathers  by  the 
prophets,  in  the  last  of  these  days  spoke  to  us  in 
his  Son.  —Hebrews  1:1,2. 

In  the  following  verse,  the  statement  is  made 
that  this  speaking  of  God  was  a  complete  revela- 
tion of  himself.  Other  Scriptures  emphasize  the 
same  fact,  excluding  any  and  all  looking  for,  or 
reception  of,  further  testimony  from  human  or 
spirit  sources.  We  are  to  hold,  study  and  follow 
what  has  already  been  completely  manifested. 


14    Founders  of  Cult  Modern 


MODERN    THEOSOPHY 

WHENCE  ? 

FOUNDERS  OF  THE  CULT 

As  a  distinct  cult,  Modern  Theosophy  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  in  1875,  of  Henry  S.  Olcott, 
Helene  P.  Blavatsky,  and  their  mahatmas,  with 
a  few  others.  As  Blavatsky  is  reputed,  and  her- 
self claimed,  to  have  been  the  promoter  and 
high-priestess,  an  outline  of  her  career  v/ili  large- 
ly answer  the  inquiry   Whence f 

A  Russian  adventuress,  she  was  from  the  no- 
bility, and  received  the  usual  schooling  of  her 
time  and  static-n.  Without  any  spirit  of  accusa- 
tion or  slander,  but  from  the  fruit  of  her  life, 
we  are  entitled  to  inquire  into  her  reputation  and 
character.  **Figs  do  not  grow  on  thistles."  That 
H.  P.  B.  (as  styled  by  her  followers)  was  a  this- 
tle, is  evidenced  by  abundant  detailed  testimony. 
She  has  been  described  as  ''enormously  fat,'* 
with  a  "harsh,  disagreeable  voice  and  a  violent 
temper ;"  she  dressed  "in  a  slovenly  manner, 
smoked  cigarettes  incessantly,  and  cared  little  cr 
nothing  about  the  conventionalities  of  life."  She 
was   coarse,   profane,   and   shocking    in   speech ; 


Theosophy  Blavatsky's  Personality     15 

and  subject  to  tantrums,  peevishness  and  rebel- 
liousness. From  childhood,  she  showed  medium- 
istic  qualities  and  a  clairvoyant  tendency.  She 
was  a  terror  to  her  household;  impulsive,  excit- 
able, capricious,  headstrong-,  wayward,  mysteri- 
ous. She  was  violent  in  anger,  subject  to  trances, 
and  kept  all  those  about  her  in  fear  until  they  de- 
clared that  she  had  a  devil.  She  was  often  found 
talking  by  herself,  and,  when  questioned,  replied 
that  she  was  talking  with  an  invisible  hunchback 
friend.  She  was  mystical,  fond  of  fairy  stories, 
and  claimed  to  see  fairies,  hobgoblins,  and  other 
creatures  of  the  invisible  world.  She  practiced 
some  of  the  well-known  phenomena  of  spiritism, 
and  seemed  to  be  under  the  special  protection 
of  unseen  powers.  She  herself  attributed  her 
pranks  to  the  influence  of  invisible  helpers. 

At  seventeen,  she  made  a  freakish  marriage, 
but  soon  ran  away  from  her  aged  husband. 
i\Iany  years  later  she  married  in  America  a  six- 
teen-year-old boy,  it  is  said.  Following  the  deser- 
tion of  her  first  husband,  Blavatsky  spent  some 
years  in  travel,  seeking  knowledge  and  adven- 
tures in  mysticism,  and  at  times  leading  a  ques- 
tionable life. 

To  the  end,  Blavatsky  showed  the  same  con- 
trary, violent  and  ugly  disposition  that  marked 
her  childhood.  Her  nature  was  never  changed, 
notwithstanding  the  boasted  povv-ers  of  her  re- 


16    The  Fruit  Test  Modern 

ligion  to  uplift  and  perfect  human  lives.  What 
could  be  the  output  cf  such  a  teacher?  What  in- 
timation have  we,  thus  early,  as  to  the  probable 
nature  of  Modern  Theosophy,  acknowledging 
with  reverence  and  boasting  such  a  mother,  seer- 
ess  and  priestess?  When  a  fountain  brings 
forth  at  the  same  time  bc-th  sweet  and  bitter  wa- 
ter, then  can  a  vulgar,  profane,  insulting,  infidel, 
lying,  swindling  woman  bring  forth  a  system  of 
doctrine  that  can  get  the  following  of  any  but 
very  deluded  people. 

But  Blavatsky  would  claim  exemption  from 
the  rule  of  fruitage,  on  the  ground  that  she  was 
only  a  medium  of  invisible  teachers.  But  what 
of  the  character  and  claims  of  invisible  teachers 
who,  professing  to  be  wise  and  good,  would  se- 
lect such  a  messenger  to  transmit  their  doctrines 
to  the  world,  without  first  changing  her  charac- 
ter and  requiring  her  to  reform  her  conduct?  The 
whole  scheme  is  repudiated  by  common-sense, 
even  without  further  evidence.  Yet  such  a 
strange  condition  prevails  in  the  world,  that 
thousands  of  educated  people  have  been,  and  are 
being,  bewitched  by  the  strange  fascination  of 
the  system  of  thought  and  practice  such  a  woman 
foisted  upon  the  wcrld. 

THE  THIBETAN    STORV. 

Blavatsky  claimed  to  have  visited  Thibet,  where 
she   discovered  a  very  ancient  book   in   an   un- 


TiiEOSOPHV  Thibetan  Myth     17 

known  language,  but  which  she  was  enabled  to 
read  by  occult  wisdom.  Something  like  Joe  Smith 
and  the  Book  of  Mormon!  She  claimed  to  have 
also  met  in  Thibet  certain  "Wise  Ones"  (whom 
we  shall  presently  locate  under  the  title  "mahat- 
mas")  who  instructed  her  and  commissioned  her 
to  enlighten  the  world  by 

1.  Putting  down  spiritism. 

2.  Converting  materialists. 

3.  Proving  the  existence  of  the  mahatmas. 

This  was  claimed  to  have  occurred  in  1S56.  But 
Blavatsky  also  said  that  she  was  taught  spiritism 
by  Plome  in  1858,  and  knev/  nothing  about  it  un- 
til then.  Slipped  a  cog  there,  madam !  Now 
why  did  she  learn  and  practice,  and  enthusiastic- 
ally boost  spiritism  for  years  foUowin.g  1858  if 
she  had  been  commissicned  in  1856  to  put  it 
down?  Her  accounts  of  Thibet  and  its  people 
did  not  check  with  facts,  and  it  was  proven  that 
she  never  was  in  that  country. 

Nevertheless,  iheosophists  make  much  of  that 
visit  and  the  discoveries  alleged  to  have  been 
made  there.  They  emphasize  their  teachings  as 
coming  from  the  "Masters  of  Thibet,"  who  are 
alleged  to  continue  the  instructions  begun  with 
Blavatsky  by  sending  "thc-ught  waves"  of  inspira- 
tion and  dictation  into  all  parts  of  the  world.  I 
have    in   hand   scores    of    messages    claimed   to 


18    Lamaism  Modern 

have  been  so  inspired.  They  are  of  a  peculiarly 
heavy  and  exacting  legalistic  mysticism,  ex- 
tremely pious  in  that  way,  but  utterly  devoid  of 
the  joyous,  care-free  spiritual  life  provided  in 
the  Christian  faith.  Some  Christian  terminolo- 
gy is  mixed  in,  but  quite  without  the  Christian 
meaning  and  application. 

The  Religion  of  Thibet 

Now  what  is  the  religion  of  Thibet,  so  esteemed 
by  modern  theosophists,  and  which  is  being  sly- 
ly inoculated  into  the  thinking  of  Christian  peo- 
ple? It  is  Lamaism — a  variety  of  northern  Bud- 
dhism strongly  modified  by  a  corrupt  Sivaism, 
and  mixed  with  native  Shamanistic  notions  and 
practices.  And  what  is  Sivaism?  The  worship 
of  Siva,  the  "transformer  of  forces,"  whose 
functions  are  exercised  "only  that  reproduction 
may  take  place."  Two  of  his  many  emblems  are 
the  lingam  and  the  sacred  bull.  Anyone  inform- 
ed in  the  Old  Testament  and  otherwise  in  regard 
to  ancient  idolatries,  knows  that  horrible  things 
are  involved  in  that  base  religion.  The  teachings 
of  modern  Theosophy  and  kindred  spiritism  and 
mysticism  have  a  characteristic  trend  towards  a 
peculiar  form  of  emphasis  on  the  sexual  rela- 
tions, as  will  appear  later  in  our  inquiry.  The 
alarming  increase  of  extravagant  sexual  expres- 
sion that  puzzles  people  today  is  a  logical  and  in- 


Theosophy  Reforming  Spiritism     19 

evitable  result  of  the  subtle  influence  of  the  vari- 
ous forms  of  paganism  and  nature-worship  that 
this  boasting  day  of  culture  has  welcomed  in  the 
name  of  free  thought  and  free  conscience  in  re- 
ligion— free  from  the  advices  and  warnings  of 
the  word  of  God,  the  Bible. 

BLAVATSKY    IN     AMERICA. 

Neither  time  nor  circumstance  of  Blavatsky's 
advent  into  America  appear  to  be  known.  In- 
dications point  to  the  early  "seventies."  She 
professed  to  have  come  from  France  to  America 
because  she  knew  this  to  be  the  cradle  of  Spirit- 
ualism, and  she  wanted  to  be  at  headquarters. 
She  claimed  that  her  mahatma  ordered  her  to 
come.  Blavatsky  and  Olcott,  then  a  newspaper 
reporter,  met  at  some  spirit  seances,  and  at  once 
became  associated  in  spiritistic  and  occult  in- 
vestigations. 

For  some  time  Blavatsky  associated  with 
spiritists  as  a  medium,  and  then  undertook  to  re- 
form the  movement  by  teaching  a  higher  [ !] 
form  of  spiritism,  incorporating  the  oriental  mys- 
ticism she  had  picked  up.  This  raw  western 
country  knew  only  a  crude,  elemental  kind  of 
spiritism,  and  Blavatsky  was  commissioned  by 
the  spirits  to  put  it  down — by  substituting  the 
oriental  kind !  Crude  spiritism  had  a  limited 
range,  and  was  too  simple  a  fraud  to  catch  many 


20     Subtlety  and  Cunning  Modern 

thinking  Christian  people.     So  the  devils  invent- 
ed something  more  subtle,  intellectual,  and  imita- 
tive of   Christianity,   cunningly   using  the   Bible- 
with  a  show  of  respect  while  perverting  it  unto 
destruction. 


When  you  are  come  into  the  land  which  the  Lord  your  God 
gives  you,  you  shall  not  learn  to  do  after  the  abominations 
of  those  nations.  There  shall  not  be  found  among  you  any 
one  that  makes  his  son  or  his  daughter  to  pass  through  the 
lire  [special  magic  initiation  into  a  certain  occult  order],  or 
that  uses  divination  [fortune-telling,  etc.],  or  an  observer  of 
times  [includes  astrology],  or  an  enchanter  [a  hypnotist], 
or  a  conjurer  [magician],  or  a  charmer  [a  hypnotist  using 
apparatus],  or  a  consulter  with  familiar  spirits  [spirit  me- 
diums], or  a  wizard  [includes  palmist],  or  a  necromancer 
[consulter  of  the  dead].  For  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord 
are  all  that  do  these  things ;  and  on  account  of  these  abom- 
inations the  Lord  your  God  drives  them  out  from  before 
you.  You  shall  be  perfect  [sincere,  or  single-minded]  with 
the  Lord  your  God.  For  these  nations,  which  you  are  about 
to  disposess,  hearken  unto  observers  of  times,  and  unto  di- 
viners ;  but  as  for  you,  the  Lord  your  God  has  not  assigned 
the  like  unto  you  [He  is  not  the  source  of  such  things].  A 
prophet  from  the  midst  of  you,  of  your  brethren,  like  unto 
me  [Joshua],  will  the  Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto  you ;  un- 
to him  [Jesus]  shall  you  hearken.  —From  Deut.  18. 


TiiEOSOPHY  A  spiritistic  Circle     21 


A  DEVELOPMENT  OF  SPIRITISM 

At  first  Blavatsky  claimed  to  have  received  or- 
ders from  an  adept  through  an  "elemental"  rep- 
resenting ''John  King,"  a  favorite  "control" 
among  spiritists  of  that  day.  Later,  she  professed 
direct  guidance  by  two  mahatnias,  and  based  the 
system  of  modern  Theosophy  on  alleged  revela- 
tions from  these  spirit  teachers.  Olcott  had  been 
studying  oriental  occultism,  and  his  knowledge 
of  that  was  worked  into  ordinary  spiritism,  to- 
gether with  further  studies  by  him  and  Blavat- 
sky, resulting  in  the  new  cult. 

In  a  published  article,  in  1875,  Blavatsky  styl- 
ed herself  "a  follower  of  Eastern  Spiritualism," 
and  predicted  that  American  Spiritualism  would 
"become  a  science  and  a  thing  of  mathematical 
certitude."  She  called  Spiritualism,  a  child  of  an- 
cient magic.  Magic  and  mystery  were  the  chief 
items  of  interest  in  starting  the  Theosophical 
Society.  The  catchy  Brotherhood  plank,  now  put 
forward  so  prominently,  was  not  thought  of  for 
some  time.  At  first  it  was  only  proposed  to  study 
"those  secret  laws  of  nature  which  were  so  fa- 
miliar to  the  Chaldeans  and  Egyptians." 


22     Teaching  Demons  Modern 

The  Theoscphical  Society  began  as  a  spiritis- 
tic circle,  and  that  is  what  it  is  now,  only  devel- 
oped into  a  cult  of  more  complicated  and  intel- 
lectual subtlety.  Circumstances  (some  say  the  ma- 
hatmas)  led  Blavatsky  and  Olcott  to  go  to  India, 
where  they  developed  their  system  along  oriental 
lines,  and  incidentally  got  some  notoriety  by  an 
exposure  of  frauds  perpetrated  by  Blavatsky  as 
alleged  miracles. 

A  little  study  of  the  literature  of  modern  The- 
osophy  finds  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  work 
of  teaching  demons,  who  have  a  style  peculiar  to 
themselves,  besides  the  uninspired  or  not-dictat- 
ed work  of  men  and  women. 


For  we  are  not  like  the  many,  adulterating 
the  word  of  God;  but  as  from  sincerity,  but 
as  from  God,  in  the  presence  of  God,  we 
speak  in  Christ.  — II  Cor.  2:17. 


TiiEOSOPHY  Anne  Besant    23 


SOME   THEOSOPHIC   LEADERS 

'Trom  cne  learn  all,"  said  an  ancient  writer.  "It 
is  enough  that  the  pupil  be  as  his  master,"  said 
Jesus.  An  inquiry  as  to  the  present  leaders  of 
the  theosophic  cult  discloses  an  affinity  between 
them  and  their  teacher,  Blavatsky,  of  significant 
bearing  on  our  subject. 

Anne  Besant  poses  as  the  present  world-lead- 
er of  the  movement.  She  was  the  wife  of  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  was 
also  master  of  a  college.  She  was  apparently  a 
Christian  until  the  birth  of  a  child,  when  she 
suddenly  left  home,  child  and  church.  She  join- 
ed a  free-thought  society  in  London,  professed 
atheism,  and  poured  scorn  and  ridicule  upon 
Christ  and  Christianity.  Then  she  became  a 
socialist  zealot,  and  was  associated  in  the  publi- 
cation of  "The  Fruits  of  Philosophy,"  described 
as  "one  of  the  most  obscene  pamphlets  ever 
written."  In  a  much  later  book  she  deplored  the 
part  she  took  in  that,  admitting  herself  to  have 
been  mistaken,  but  without  expressing  penitence 
or  contrition. 


24     Quarrelsome  BrotJierhood  Modern 

Besant's  acquaintance  with  the  doctrines  of 
Christianity  made  her  a  valuable  medium  for  the 
false  teachings ;  for  she  is  able  to  clothe  them  in 
the  semblance  of  Christian  verbiage,  making 
them  more  deceitful  and  alluring.  A  townsman 
of  her  earlier  life  says  that  she  has  an  inordinate 
vanity,  with  an  "irresistible  desire  to  be  'in  the 
limelight' — to  be  in  position  to  display  her  mar- 
velous gifts  of  speech." 

The  doctrine  of  brotherhood,  made  so  much 
of  as  the  strong  plank  of  the  theosophic  platform, 
seems  unable  to  support  the  weight  of  personal 
ambitions  for  leadership  that  broke  the  Society 
into  factions  at  the  first  opportunity.  After  the 
death  of  the  original  projectors,  two  rivals  set  up 
claims  to  Blavatsky's  mantle :  Anne  Besant,  in 
England,  and  Catherine  Tingley,  in  America. 
Each  wanted  to  be  president  of  the  world-society. 
Neither  would  prefer  the  other  in  honor,  in  the 
Christian  v/ay,  and  a  bitter  fight  ensued,  the  ran- 
cor of  which  continues  to  this  day.  Theosophists 
make  extravagant  professions  of  foUov/ing  the 
"selfless  life,"  yet  the  ugly  contest  between  these 
two  parties  would  disgrace  a  dirty  political  cam- 
paign !  So  now  there  are  two  Societies,  and  sev- 
eral little  sects,  or  orders,  of  this  universal  broth- 
erhood ! 

NOTE:-  Mrs.  Besant  was  introduced  to  Madam  Blavatsky  by  editor 
William  T.  Stead,  who  was  a  spiritist  and  interested  in  Theosophy.  His 
conspicuous  activity  in  connection  with  the  famed  "  Welsh  Revival  "  is 
significant  in  view  of  certain  strange  things  associated  with  that  event. 


TiiEOSOPiiY  Catherine  Tingley     25 

Catherine  Tingley  was  a  spirit  medium  when 
she  took  up  Theosophy  in  self -exploitation.  She 
writes  with  words  of  honey  the  most  blasphe- 
mous teachings,  along  with  numerous  and  pre- 
sumptuous claims  for  herself.  No  megaloma- 
niac puts  forth  more  blasphemous  claims.  She 
dares  to  call  herself,  not  only  the  greatest  person 
and  teacher  in  the  world  today,  but  the  greatest 
of  all  time,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  not  excepted ! 
Insane  people  sometimes  claim  to  be  the  Lord, 
but  she  does  not  stop  there ;  for  she  claims  to  be 
better  than  He  was — yet  remains  out  of  the  asy- 
lum, and  finds  plenty  of  fools  who  are  willing 
to  follow  her  teachings!  It  is  just  as  Jesus 
said  it  would  be — teachers  coming  in  their  own 
names,  pretending  to  be  great  ones,  would  attract 
many  who  are  too  proud  to  follow  him  who 
came  in  humility,  exalting  the  Father  instead  of 
himself. 

The  brazen  impudence  of  Catherine  Tingley 
goes  even  beyond  that  of  Simon  Magus,  the  sor- 
cerer, who  ''claimed  to  be  some  great  one,  even 
the  power  of  God" ;  for  she  claims  to  "wield 
powers"  in  the  sense  of  controlling  the  invisible 
powers.  She  rates  herself  as  the  evolved  per- 
fection of  great  world-teachers,  although  con- 
ceding high  honors  to  Blavatsky,  saying  she  was 
"martyred,  as  was  Christ,  but  on  a  cross  of  great- 
er agony,"  and  is  "one  of  the  world's  redeemers." 


26    Audacious  Blasphemy  Modern 

But  the  sufferings  of  Blavatsky,  at  the  close  of 
her  career,  were  only  the  Icgical  consequences 
of  her  life,  and  nothing  like  martyrdom. 

Mrs.  Tingley  has  emphasized  her  claim  to  be 
the  proper  successor  to  Blavatsky  by  asserting 
that  they  were  close  friends  twelve  hundred 
years  before  Christ,  at  a  time  when  both  were 
incarnated  in  Egypt!  Later,  she  even  claimed  to 
be  the  reincarnation  of  Blavatsky  herself  !  She  had 
recollection  of  having  been  a  bosom  friend  long 
ago,  and  then  she  became  suddenly  conscious  of 
being,  not  a  one-time  bosom  friend,  but  a  rein- 
carnation of  that  twice  contemporaneous  person ! 
Great  magic,  that !  Verily,  the  evolution  of  a  dis- 
eased imagination,  with  promptings  from  deceiv- 
ing spirits,  and  urged  by  unbridled  ambition, 
knows  no  consistency  or  reason  ! 

A  reincarnation  of  one  whom  she  declares  to 
have  been  greater  than  Jesus  Christ  [Blavatsky, 
and  a  reincarnation  being  an  advance  over  the 
preceding  state],  there  is  no  limit  to  the  audacious 
blasphemy  of  this  Point  Loma  pretender  whom 
thousands  follow,  and  whose  insane  ravings  are 
honored  on  the  shelves  of  public  libraries  in  this 
professedly  Christian  land,  and  whose  exploits 
are  heralded  in  contemporary  literature!  And 
these  same  people  ridicule  as  myth,  fable  and  su- 

NOTE:-  Blavastky  is  reported  to  have  died  from  elephantiasis,  perhaps 
with  "complications.  The  end  of  her  career,  like  that  of  other  such  pre- 
tenders, should  dissuade  even  the  bisised  from  confidence  in  their  claims. 


Theosophy  Natural  Inference    27 

perstition,  the  authentic,  proven,  tried,  stable  and 
consistent  Christian  Scriptures  in  the  most  es- 
sential doctrines  and  pervert  them  by  presump- 
tuous interpretaticns  unto  most  grotesque  incon- 
sistencies!  But  how  can  such  people  rationally 
interpret  anything?  The  amazing  thing  is  that 
people  who  boast  of  their  superior  education  fall 
into  such  a  dirty  puddle. 

Of  the  satellites  of  these  leaders,  it  is  not  worth 
while  to  take  detailed  notice.  They  form  a  grow- 
ing family.  Each  thinks  to  give  the  world  its 
latest  and  best  lessons  in  truth.  They  differ 
some  in  details,  but,  in  the  main,  only  reflect  the 
teachings  of  the  principal  leaders. 

LOGICAL  INFERENCE 

From  this  outline  survey  of  the  origin  and  source 
of  modern  Theosophy,  we  have  plain  indications 
as  to  the  character  of  the  doctrines.  Detailed  in- 
quiry brings  to  light  the  extremities  of  falsehood 
into  which  the  human  mind  can  be  led  when  it 
turns  from  the  plain  word  of  God  to  follow  the 
alluring,  fascinating,  and  subtle  suggestions  of 
its  own  imaginations,  enticed  and  misguided  by 
demon  teachers,  even  as  Eve  was  beguiled  into 
doubt  and  disobedience  by  a  flattering  prospect 

NOTE:-  The  imprisonment  by  the  British  Government  of  Leadbeater, 
a  conspicuous  theosophic  writer,  for  corrupting  boys,  is  a  comment  on 
such  leadership  the  significance  of  which  appears  later  in  this  book. 


28     Glamorous  Knoidcdgc  Modern 

of  power  through  knowledge — not  that  which 
comes  through  normal  experience  in  obedience, 
but  that  glamorous  knowledge  called  occult, 
which  Theosophy  especially  stands  for,  but 
which  is  illusicn,  delusion  and  mockery. 


But  evil  men  and  imposters  [lit.  jugglers — juggling 
with  doctrine]  will  progress  for  the  worse,  deceiving 
and  being  deceived.  But  do  you  abide  in  the  things 
which  you  learned  and  was  convinced  of,  knowing 
with  whom  you  learned ;  and  that  from  a  child  you 
have  known  the  Holy  Scriptures  which  are'^able  to 
make  you  wise  for  salvation,  through  the  faith  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus.  —II  Tim.  3:13-15. 


Theosophy  Audacious  Mockery     29 


MODERN   THEOSOPHY 

WHAT  ? 

FALSE   PRETENSES 

Modern  Theosophy  professes  to  be  a  higher  and 
better  interpretation  of  truth  and  Hfe  than  is 
Christianity.  It  has  the  audacity  to  claim  to  be 
a  development  of  the  higher  spirituahty  of 
Christianity,  while  denying  its  essential  and  fun- 
damental doctrines,  and  ridiculing  the  faith  of 
all  who  accept  the  Bible  in  truth.  It  pretends  to 
be  a  friend  of  churches,  wishing  to  give  them 
clearer  light  and  nobler  fellowship,  yet  insulting- 
ly mocks  them  in  all  that  is  most  important — Sa- 
tan in  Eden  reproduced.  He  pretended  to  be 
Eve's  friend,  wishing  to  direct  her  to  higher 
things,  even  to  the  wisdom  of  gods,  but  was  all 
the  wdiile  mocking  ]ier  very  nature  as  a  created 
being  under  duty  of  obedience  to  God ;  and  mock- 
ing God,  whose  word  he  contradicted,  as  we  find 
to  be  the  case  with  the  cult  we  are  investigating. 
The  first  teachings  are  so  closely  imitative  of 
Christianity  that  the  danger  does  not  appear,  and 
the   descent   to   the  paganism   which   constitutes 


30    Revived  Paganism  Modern 

the  real  system  is  so  graduated  that  inquirers  do 
not  reahze  the  situation.  Theosophy  grows 
bolder  as  it  meets  little  opposition  from  the 
churches,  and  makes  most  daring  claims  to  mis- 
lead the  unwary.  Professions  of  friendship  to- 
wards Christianity  must  be  accepted  as  the  as- 
sassin's kiss. 

Some  Theosophists  are  frank  enough  to  admit 
that  their  system  is  not  Christian.  Max  Muller 
said  that  Theosophy  is  a  psychological  religion — ■ 
the  word  theosophy  conveying  the  idea  of  wild 
speculations  on  the  hidden  nature  of  God ;  the 
word  psychic  reminding  of  the  trances,  visions 
and  ghosts ;  and  the  word  mystic  leaving  the 
impression  of  something  vague,  nebulous  and 
secret.  Christianity  has  no  such  description. 
Wherever  these  elements  are  present,  any  claim 
to  being  Christian  is  fraudulent. 

That  modern  Theosophy  is  a  revived  paganism, 
is  clear  when  we  compare  its  teachings  with 
those  of  ancient  pagan  cults.  The  original  pro- 
moters  claimed  to  be  only  discovering  and  re- 
producing the  long-neglected  ancient  wisdom- 
religion  of  pagan  peoples.  The  Bible  most  em- 
phatically condemns  and  warns  against  them,  so 
that  it  is  amazing  how  any  Christians  can  be 
misled  into  the  snare  of  the  deceptions. 


Theosophy  Intolerant  Tolerance     31 


DENIAL  OF  DOGMA  OR  CREED 

Theosophy  boasts  of  being  unfettered  by  any 
dogma,  creed  or  doctrine,  but  we  shall  find  it  to 
be  little  else,  most  positively  stated,  and  some  of 
them  imposed  upon  followers  with  insistence 
even  in  the  presence  of  contrary  evidence.  The- 
osophists  are  the  most  presumptuous  dogmatists, 
claiming  infallible  knowledge  from  direct  guid- 
ance by  invisible  beings  of  superlative  wisdom. 
They  glory  in  a  pride  that  rejects  the  revelation 
attested  to  have  been  directly  from  God,  and,  with 
perverse  folly,  accept  notions  revealed  from  sub- 
ordinates— mahatmas ! 

They  make  a  great  ado  about  tolerance,  yet,  at 
the  very  outset,  exact  a  pledge  from  every  can- 
didate before  admission  that  forever  restricts  his 
liberty  of  opinion  to  the  dictates  of  the  order! 
He  must  never  question  the  religious  opinions  of 
fellow-victims !  He  forfeits  his  right  to  offer  sug- 
gestions to  any  whom  he  believes  to  be  in  error ! 
But  no  Christian  may  pledge  himself  to  silence 
regarding  doctrine.  He  keeps  free  to  testify  for 
his  Lord,  and  against  falsehood  in  every  form 
and  place.     Pledges  of  silence  and  secrecy  indi- 


32    Presumptuous  Claims  Modern 

cate  a  cult  of  falsehood  that  shuns  the  light,  and 
seeks  to  keep  victims  from  exposing  hidden  cor- 
ruption. One  who  will  not  pledge  himself  at  the 
outset  is  not  welcome — ^lie  might  become  an  un- 
comfortable member,  when  certain  unsavory  se- 
cret doctrines  and  practices  are  reached !  Incon- 
siderate  vows  are  a  specialty  of  devils,  who 
would  bind  the  conscience  before  showing  their 
hands.  But  Christianity  says,  "Prcve  all  things" 
and  "Try  the  spirits,"  before  committing  one's 
self.  The  term  ''surrender"  is  liable  to  misuse, 
and  is  being  misused  in  these  days  by  people  who 
think  they  are  in  a  higher  Christian  way,  but 
who  are  in  danger  from  deceptive  piety. 

The  motto  of  the  Theosophical  Society  is 
"There  is  no  religion  higher  than  truth."  It  pre- 
sumes to  set  up  its  notions  as  positive  truth,  not- 
withstanding many  inconsistencies  and  contradic- 
tions, and  in  face  of  its  own  claim  that  all  thought 
is  in  a  state  of  transitional  flux,  wherein  nothing 
is  fixed !  It  denies  that  Jesus  Christ  is  "the  way, 
the  truth,  and  the  life,"  and  says:  "Each  man 
is  himself  absolutely  the  way."  Emphatic  for  a 
dogmaless  cult,  overflowing  with  tolerance,  be- 
sides being  presumption  and  blasphemy  1  There 
are  as  many  ways,  then,  as  there  are  individuals, 
and  no  teachers  are  needed !  By  this,  teachers  of 
Theosophy  are  a  superfluity — but,  if  they  zvill 
teach,  of   course,  they    must    be   tolerated !      In 


Theosophy  Demands  on  Credulity     33 

reality,  theosophists  are  most  intolerant  of  what 
conflicts  with  their  notions,  using  violent  words 
of  resentment  and  denunciation.  They  make  far 
greater  demands  en  human  credulity  than  they 
accuse  Christians  of  doing. 


We  have  repudiated  the  secret  things  of  shame ;  not 
walking  in  craftiness,  nor  falsifying  the  word  of  God ; 
but  by  the  manifestation  [or  setting  forth  in  clear 
light]  of  the  truth,  approving  ourselves  to  every  hu- 
man conscience  [or  sense  of  fitness]  in  the  presence 
of  God.  .  .  .  For  we  do  not  proclaim  ourselves, 
but  Christ  Jesus  as  Lord.  — //  Cor.  U'.2-5. 


34     Thcosophic  Platform  Modern 


CREED  OF  MODERN   THEOSOPHY 

The  general  creed  is  formulated  in  the  platform 
of  the  Theosophical  Society.  Numerous  doc- 
trines are  associated  with  it  which  have  been 
modified  from  time  to  time,  as  is  the  custom  with 
spiritistic  religions,  while  maintaining  a  certain 
trend.     The  platform  is  : 

1.  To  form  a  nucleus  of  the  Universal  Broth- 

erhood of  Humanity,  without  distinction 
of  race,  creed,  sex,  caste,  or  color. 

2.  To  encourage  the  study  of  comparative  re- 

ligion, philosophy,  and  science. 

3.  To  investigate  unexplained  lavv^s  of  nature, 

and  the  powers  latent  in  man. 

Man,  humanity,  is  the  object  of  emphasis — the 
supreme  consideration.  The  adage,  *'The  proper 
study  of  mankind  is  man,"  is  far  off  the  track. 
How  is  one  to  learn  anything  worthy  by  study- 
ing a  failure,  or  a  diseased  and  perverted  thing? 
What  uplift  in  that?  To  hitch  a  wagon  to  a 
fencepost  means  a  short  trip ;  to  hitch  it  to  a  star 

This  is  the  eternal  life,  that  they  may  know  thee,  the  only 
true  Gcd,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent.  Jno.l7:3. 


Theosophy  The  Best  Pupilage     35 

is  better.  The  proper  study  of  man  is  God,  and 
in  that  only  can  one  be  exalted.  To  find  Him 
in  whose  likeness  we  were  created,  but  whom  we 
lost  by  sin,  is  to  find  the  way  back  to  the  original 
norm  of  man.  Jesus  Christ,  the  God-man,  is 
the  revelation  of  what  we  cught  to  be,  and  to 
study  Him,  to  become  His  disciple,  is  the  fit  and 
only  successful  pupilage.  Let  Him  be  our  teach- 
er, not  mahatmas  or  created  spirits  of  any  kind. 
Why,  even  the  exalted  angels  of  heaven  do  not 
affect  to  be  teachers,  but  leave  that  v/ork  to  God 
Himself.  Any  invisible  beings,  under  v/hatever 
guise,  that  ofifer  instructicn  are  to  be  repulsed  at 
once  as  deceiving  pretenders.  God  lias  spoken  in 
His  Son,  and  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  reveal- 
ed to  man.  It  is  only  because  people  do  not  like 
that  revelation,  and  Vv'ant  one  that  suits  their 
pride,  that  they  run  after  new  revelations  and 
speculative  philosophies,  grasping  after  some- 
thing that  vvill  be  less  humiliating  than  the  truth, 
which  makes  clear  their  need  of  help  from  out- 
side themselves.  They  will  accept  the  help  of  in- 
visible spirits  without  any  proof  of  their  identi- 
ty or  qualifications,  while  rejecting  the  help  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  accredited  Himself  so  fully 
The  glory  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them.   Jiio.  17:22. 

We  all,  beholding  as  in  a  mirror,  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are 
changed  into  the  same  image     ....     — //  Cor.  3:18. 

Predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  image  of  his  Son.     Rom. 


36    Brotherhood  Dogma  Modern 

that  any  who  at  all  investigate  can  not  fail  to  be 
convinced. 

The  doctrines  that  cluster  about  the  theosoph- 
ic  platform  are  the  acme  of  diabolical  cunning, 
deception  and  treachery. 

UNIVERSAL    BROTHERHOOD 

The  brotherhood  plank  is  called  the  cornerstone 
of  the  theosophic  edifice.  The  Society  assumes 
credit  for  something  new — it  is  "forming  a  nucle- 
us," as  though  nobody  ever  thought  of  the 
scheme  before !  But  many  movements  have 
avowed  the  same  purpose.  It  is  an  old  shibboleth 
of  Spiritism,  and  the  cry  of  various  secret  or- 
ders. In  the  very  door  of  this  crecdless  cult  is 
the  d-o-g-m-a  of  universal  brotherhood !  The 
very  idea  of  such  a  brotherhood  is  taken  from 
Christianity,  whose  founder  was  the  *'Son  of 
man."  But  to  discredit  the  supremacy  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  this,  it  is  represented  as  a  conception 
evolved  in  human  thought,  recently  born,  and  is 
perverted  into  loose  application. 

The  Son  of  man  is  also  Son  of  God — not  of 
human  generation,  but  begotten  by  the  Holy  Spir- 
it. He  is  the  second  Adam — Divine  man,  God  in- 
carnate. The  atonement  in  Jesus  Christ  brought 
all  mankind  back  to  the  Adamic  relation  in  God's 
purpose.  As  in  Adam  all  died,  so  in  Christ  are 
they  made  alive.   The  life  of  the  world  is  in  him, 


TiiEOSOPHY  True  Brotherhood     37 

but  that  life  is  effective  only  in  those  who  accept- 
ingly  believe  in  him.  Those  who  reject  make  them- 
selves aliens  from  God,  thus  refusing  to  belong 
to  the  brotherhood  that  inheres  in  Christ,  so  can 
not  claim  relation  to  the  universal ;  for  God  alone 
is  universal.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
necessarily  limited  to  the  realm  of  the  natural, 
and  participation  in  the  universal  can  ccme  only 
by  spiritual  birth.  Only  Christians,  therefore, 
can  talk  of  a  universal  brotherhood,  and  even 
they  must  qualify  the  term  as  excluding  those 
who  are  not  of  the  household  of  faith.  For  an 
un-Christian,  or  an  anti-Christian,  cult  to  propose 
to  estabhsh  a  universal  brotherhood  of  humani- 
ty, is  folly  and  delusion. 

To  be  fellow-men  is  one  thing ;  to  be  brothers, 
quite  another.  The  term  "brother"  is  a  family 
one,  therefore  restricted  in  application.  Humani- 
ty can  reproduce  only  after  its  kind.  The  God- 
born  are  not  to  be  counted  longer  in  the  fleshly 
relationships.  Jesus  said :  "Call  no  one  on  earth 
your  father ;  for  One  is  your  Father,  God."  Uni- 
versal brotherhood  can  not  obtain  in  a  mixed 
generation.  Jesus  said,  and  history  confirms, 
that  some  men  are  children  of  the  Devil.  The- 
osophy  undertakes  a  big  job,  in  proposing  to  es- 
tablish a  Universal  Brotherhood  of  Humanity 
from  such  diverse  elements.  Such  a  brotherhood 
must  wait,  at  least  until  all  the  Lord's  people  are 


38    Beginning  of  Wisdom  Modern 

caught  up,  to  be  with  him  in  the  air.  John  1 :12, 
13  and  Matt.  12  :50  are  good  antidotes  to  the  uni- 
versal brotherhood  of  humanity  virus. 

STUDY  OF  COMPARATIVE  RELIGION 

The  second  plank  in  the  theosophical  platform 
appeals  to  "liberal  thinkers."  It,  too,  is  a  definite 
creed  of  this  creedless  cult!  It  is  a  declaration 
that  Christianity  does  not  present  the  only  true 
way  to  God,  but  that  all  religions  are  worthy,  and 
to  be  consulted  and  used.  Theosophy  professes  to 
study  and  honor  all  systems  alike.  But,  in  reali- 
ty, it  only  juggles  with  them,  using,  here  and 
there,  such  items  as  it  can  force  into  a  seeming 
endorsement  of  its  own  doctrines,  while  reject- 
ing and  denouncing  what  is  not  so  available.  The 
very  first  law  of  the  truly  spiritual  hfe — the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven — is  meekness  in  sincerity 
(inherent  in  Divine  Personality),  accompanied 
by  reverence  for  authority.  "The  fear  of  the 
Tord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom."  The  sincere  in 
heart  shall  recognize  God.  But  neither  of  these 
is  present  in  the  proposition  to  study  compara- 
tive religion  to  find  truth.  Nothing  is  sought  as 
authoritative.  Nothing  is  admitted  as  authori- 
tative. And  it  is  not  intended  to  change  belief 
according  to  findings.  Each  is  his  own  authori- 
ty, with  mind  already  disposed.  Search  is  only 
from  curiosity,  and  to  find  literature  that  endors- 


Theosopiiy  Oriental  Bias     39 

es  preconceptions  and  supplies  material  for  argu- 
ment against  the  unique  and  supreme  authority 
of  the  Bible — the  same  humbug  of  hypocrisy  that 
was  in  certain  who  came  to  Jesus  with  questions. 
Students  of  comparative  religion  are  usually  prej- 
udiced against  essential  Christianity,  and  are 
given  to  making  adverse  comparisons  by 
misinterpretations  and  misapplications.  Those 
who  are  settled  in  truth  have  no  desire  or  occa- 
sion to  dabble  in  falsehoods.  Slum-trotting  is  no 
part  of  Christian  duty,  but  an  act  of  will-service 
(a  superfluity)  fraught  with  defiling  reflex  in- 
fluence. Only  for  equipment  for  service  in  com- 
batting falsehood  already  active  and  threatening 
is  one  justified  in  studying  various  religions,  and 
even  that  is  dangerous. 

Instead  of  making  an  eclectic  synthesis  of  all 
religions  through  the  study  of  comparative  relig- 
ion, as  proposed,  theosophists  make  an  almost 
exclusive  appropriation  of  oriental  paganism, 
perverting  what  few  Christian  items  are  admit- 
ted, so  as  to  make  them  seem  to  endorse  the 
orientalism. 

OCCULTISM 

The  third  plank  in  the  platform  of  the  Theosoph- 
ical  Society  is  also  a  creed.  It  capitalizes  the 
word  "nature"  and  all  the  characteristic  terms  of 
occultism.     The  creed  affirms  belief   in  certain 


40    Magic  Pozvcr  Sought  Modern 

"powers  latent  in  man"  that  have  been  neglected 
all  these  ages,  and  which  it  is  to  bring  out  in  this 
the  "scientific"  phase  of  its  system.  This  plank 
is  held  in  special  regard,  because  it  has  to  do  with 
mysteries  and  the  acquirement  of  supernatural 
knowledge  and  power.  They  seek  knowledge  be- 
cause "Knowledge  is  Power,"  and  power  is  the 
theosophic  conception  of  godliness.  Instead  of 
making  righteousness  and  holiness  the  great  ob- 
jects of  attainment,  as  with  Christians,  they  make 
occult  power  the  supreme  thing,  with  a  certain 
kind  of  fictitious  goodness  a  condition  of  attain- 
ing this  power.  Ancient  paganism  revived !  The 
cult  started  in  a  search  for  magic  and  the  occult, 
and  that  is  still  the  chief  aim,  however  much 
some  may  deny  it,  or  try  to  disguise  it  in  order 
to  mislead  the  critical. 


Not  by  Might  nor  by  Power,  but  by  My 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.  — Zech.  U'.6. 


Theosophy  Sources  of  Doctrines     41 


THE   DOCTRINES 

ALLEGED  SOURCES 

The  doctrines  of  modern  Theosophy  are  a  cun- 
ning combination  of  pantheism,  evolution,  fatal- 
ism, reincarnation,  and  a  number  of  associated 
superstitions  and  queer  practices.  There  are  four 
alleged  sources  of  theosophic  doctrines : 

L     Ancient  writings  of  paganism — especially 
the  Hindu  religious  books. 

2.  "Astral  Records." 

3.  Mahatmas. 

4.  Intuitions    (so-called)    of  the  natural  hu- 

man mind. 

Only  a  little  reflection  is  needed  to  assure  of  the 
foolish  inconsistency  of  resort  to,  or  reliance  on, 
these  scnirces. 

ANCIENT     WRITINGS 

If  evolution  is  true  (and  theosophists  emphasize 
it  so  to  be)  the  later  literature  is  the  best.  They  as- 
sert that  the  Bible  was  evolved  (some  say  com- 
piled)  from  more  ancient  writings.     And,  even 


42     Spook  Photographs  Modern 

if  not,  the  alleged  later  appearance  of  it  should 
be  in  its  favor,  when  there  had  been  a  period  of 
evolutionary  development  throughout  the  world. 
What  folly,  then,  to  go  back  to  the  earlier  and 
necessarily  cruder  literary  sources.  And,  if  self- 
consciousness  is  to  be  the  only  authority,  as  al- 
leged, Vv'hy  consult  the  Vedic  or  any  other  liter- 
ature ? 

ASTRAL    RECORDS 

The  alleged  "astral  records"  are,  in  brief,  spook 
photographs  of  all  things  that  have  ever  been 
thought  or  done  in  the  world.  They  are  stored 
up  somewhere  on  the  "astral  plane,"  and  may  be 
consulted  by  anyone  interested  in  the  secrets  of 
other  lives — if  he  will  only  let  the  mahatmas  de- 
velop his  occult  powers  of  clairvoyance !  But,  as 
it  is  admitted  by  Lea'dbeater,  one  of  the  leading 
theosophic  writers,  that  clairvoyant  readiiig  is 
as  liable  to  error  as  any  other,  and  subject  to  de- 
lusion from  imperfect  vision  or  subjective  mis- 
interpretation, of  what  value  is  the  testimony  of 
such  records,  even  if  they  exist?  Yet  theosophists 
contradict  the  Bible  and  all  history,  and  all  rea- 
son and  sense,  by  appeal  to  the  "astral  records." 

MAHATMAS 

When  special  and  infallible  authority  is  needed 
by  theosophists,  they  fall  back  on  the  mahatmas 
— always  capitalized  by  them.  When  the  found- 


Theosophy  Evolved  Shades    43 

ers  of  the  theosophical  cult  substituted  oriental 
spiritism  for  what  they  called  the  western,  they 
not  ciily  emphasized   certain   oriental   doctrines, 
but  also  adopted  the  nomenclature  and  phraseol- 
ogy of  eastern  occultism.     Modern  (or  western) 
spiritism  is  simply  a  revival  of  ancient  necroman- 
cy (consulting  the  dead),  using  some  of  the  lan- 
guage of  Christianity  as  a  disguise.     The  origi- 
nators of  modern  theosophy  merely  substituted 
the  eastern  theory  for  the  same  spirit  intercourse 
and  applied  the  oriental  terms.       In  India,  nec- 
romancy is  forbidden,  as  such,  but  a  substitute 
is  practiced  in  the  form  of  mahatmiic  communi- 
cations.    It  is  only  a  dodge.     Instead  of  consult- 
ing the  alleged  spirits  of  the  recently  departed 
(thereby  hindering  their  adjustm.ent  to  the  new 
CG-nditions  of  the  spirit  plane,  as  the  superstition 
puts  it)  the  Hindus  apply  to  the  shades  of  men 
who  are  more  advanced — men  who  are  alleged 
to  have  evolved  through  many  incarnations  until 
they  have  reached  a  very  high  state  of  perfec- 
tion,  and  who   have   voluntarily  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  care  and  tutelage  of  humans  who  are 
eager  to  press  onward  and  upward  in  the  path  of 
occult  devotion.     But  they  are,  in  reality,  only 
disguised  demons,  just  as  in  ordinary  spiritism. 
They  may  be  of  a  more  intelligent  order    (for 
spirits  differ  just  as  humans  do)   but  that  does 
not  make  them  better.     It  only  gives  them  power 


44     Spirit  Teachers  Modern 

to  deceive  more  intelligent  people  by  a  more  sub- 
tle cunning.  Their  teachings  are,  in  the  main, 
identical  with  those  of  spiritism,  or  necromancy. 
Christianity  has  no  place  for  guidance  from 
the  dead,  or  from  invisible  spirits  of  any  kind — 
not  even  from  angels,  as  before  said.  Angels 
were  created  to  be  ministering  spirits,  not  teach- 
ers. Those  who  remained  faithful  are  happy  in 
the  fulfillment  of  their  appointed  duties.  Those 
who,  through  pride  and  envy,  rebelled,  transgress 
still  further,  and  affect  to  be  teachers  of  men. 
Their  teachings  and  revelations  are  in  mocking 
imitation  and  burlesque  of  the  truth.  This  is 
what  Scripture  states,  and  is  what  many  people 
have  found  by  sore  experience.  Theosophic  ap- 
peal to,  rmd  reliance  on,  the  mahatmas  is  sure 
proof  that  the  system  should  be  labeled  *'Demon- 
osophy,"  rather  than  "Theosophy."  The  real  god 
of  theosophy  is  Satan. 

INTUITION    OR   SELF-ILLUMINATION 

Self-illumination — the  ''inner  light"  is  held 
to  be  also  an  important  source  of  knowledge  and 
wisdom.  This  rather  contradicts  the  supremacy 
of  the  mahatmas,  but  it  matters  little ;  for  it  is 
a  good  sop  to  hand  out  to  the  proud — they  are 
most  in  harmony  with  falsehood,  and  more  easi- 

Men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light.  —John  3:19. 


Theosophy  Inner  Light    45 

ly  led.  The  inner  light  is  easily  manipulated  by 
a  little  hypnotic  suggestion,  so  it  does  not  bother 
the  mahatmas  a  little  bit. 

''But,"  said  Jesus,  "if  the  light  within  you  be 
darkness."  Some  think  they  have  truth  because 
the  inner  sense  is  so  clouded  that  they  can  not 
see  realities.  The  ostrich  fears  not  while  its  head 
is  hidden  beneath  the  sand.  A  philosopher  may 
think  a  pool  of  water  is  deep  because  of  the 
muddiness  that  hides  the  bottom.  Falsehood 
may  scent  to  be  positive  truth  to  an  abnormal 
mind — and  that  is  just  what  the  sinful  human 
mind  is.  It  is  Vvdien  the  prodigal  comes  to  him- 
self that  he  realizes  his  condition.  Seared  con- 
sciences are  not  cleared  consciences,  and  only 
cleared  consciences  can  perceive  truth  clearly. 
To  follow  the  inner  promptings  of  a  fallen  na- 
ture, is  far  from  following  the  mind  of  God, 
where  only  is  truth.  If  we  are  to  walk  in  the 
light,  we  must  look  away  from  natural  inner 
promptings  unto  Jesus  Christ,  "the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life" — the  cnly  light  of  the  world. 

Introspection  is  a  most  alluring  but  deceiving 
and  dangerous  practice.  It  is  very  liable  to  lead 
to  captivity  of  the  mind  to  seducing  spirits  who 
take  advantage  of  the  darkness  of  men's  minds 
to  suggest  misleading  notions  by  way  of  fancies 
and  impressions.  Looking  within  often  becomes 
a  form  of  idolatry,  with  self  as  the  god.     Self- 


46    Self-Worship  I^^Iodern 

worship  is  a  large  phase  of  theosophy,  which  de- 
clares man  to  be,  himself,  God.  The  fact  that 
theosophists  repudiate  truth  is  proof  that  their 
inner  light  is  darkness  that  comprehends  not ;  for 
whoever  is  of  the  light  conies  to  the  light — re- 
sponds to  and  acknov/ledges  it,  as  Jesus  says. 


The  Logos  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  ur-,  and 
we  behekl  his  glory,  a  glory  as  of  an  only-bcgot- 
ten  of  a  father,  full  of  grace  and  truth. 
He  who  has  seen  me  has  seen  the  Father. 
If  our  gospel  be  veiled  [not  clear],  it  is  veiled  to 
those  who  are  perishing;  to  those  unbelievers 
v/hose  inmds  the  god  of  this  age  blinded,  so  that 
they  might  not  see  clearly  the  effulgence  of  the 
gospel  of  the  glcry  of  Christ,  v/ho  is  an  iniage 
of  God. 

He  [Christ]  is  a  iikeness  ol  the  invisible  God  .  , 
,  .  by  him  were  all  things  created  .  .  and  he  is 
before  all  things,  and  by  him  the  universe  was 
constituted  [arranged  and  put  together]. 
Who  [Jesus  Christ],  being  an  efTulgence  of  his 
[God's]  glcry,  and  an  exact  impress  of  his  person 
[cr  personality;  see  the  Greek],  and  sustaining 
the  universe  by  the  word  of  his  power. 

These  quotations,  from  John  1:14;  14:9;  2  Cor.  4:3.4;  Col. 
1:15-17,  Heb.  1:3,  and  many  other  Scriptures,  fully  corrob- 
orated in  Christian  experience,  show  the  sufficient  and  com- 
plete revelation  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ,  excluding  any  other 
manifestations  chicug'a  mahatmas  or  occult  investigations. 


Theosopiiy  Presumptuous  Ignorance     47 


DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  AND  CREATION 

The  system  of  modern  Theosophy  is  embraced  in 
its  theory  of  God  and  of  creation,  or,  rather,  of 
the  world^s  evolution ;  for  it  denies  a  creation  in 
the  proper  meaning  of  the  word,  substituting  a 
form  of  pantheistic  evolution  of  emanations. 

Of  God,  the  statement  is:  "We  do  not  yet  un- 
derstand or  comprehend  the  Infinite,  the  Some- 
thing men  call  God."  It  is  one  of  the  dodges  of 
spiritism  to  refuse  to  make  any  definite  state- 
ment regarding  God.  Such  indefiniteness  is  a 
sure  sign  of  the  evil  source  of  the  whole  theosoph- 
ic  system.  Of  what  sort  is  any  light,  whether  in- 
ner or  cuter,  that  leaves  this  item  in  such  ob- 
scurity? In  the  face  of  such  a  declaration  of  ig- 
norance, vvhv  do  theosophists  mahe  any  attempt 
at  all  to  denne  God?  Yet  they  do  it.  What  right 
have  they  to  denounce  the  Christian  doctrine  of 
God,  if  they  admit  having  no  understanding  or 
comprehension  in  the  matter?  It  Vv^ould  be  at 
least  consistent  and  discreet  to  be  silent,  but  they 
are  not.  Why  v/ill  people  run  after  teachers  who, 
at  the  very  outset,  insult  their  intelligence  by  of- 
fering instruction  from  empty  minds  ?  This  pro- 
fessed io-norance  of  God  is  rather  boastingly  ex- 


48    Personality  Fundamental  Modern 

pressed,  yet  it  is  sure  evidence  that  those  who  en- 
dorse the  position  have  not  the  mind  of  God  at 
all,  however  much  they  may  claim  to  be  gods ; 
for  the  mind  of  God  is  surely  self-conscious. 
Every  Christian  has  some  understanding  and 
comprehension  of  God;  for  he  has  the  mind  of 
Christ,  and  Christ  is  God-man.  So  the  Christian 
has  the  God-consciousness,  and  no  others  have 
or  can  have  it. 

Not  having  any  understanding  of  God,  why 
do  theosophists  define  him  as  "an  eternal,  omni- 
present principle"?  Such  is  a  doctrine,  not  of 
reason  or  of  the  inner  light  in  natural  human 
coiisciouness ;  for  man  does  not  deduce  imper- 
sonality from  constant  experience  of  the  personal. 
Personality  inheres  in  the  very  constitution  of 
man,  as  self-consciousness  recognizes.  That 
self-consciousness  is  from  God,  in  whose  image 
man  was  created. 


He  who  planted  the  ear,  shall  he  not  hear?  or  he  who  formed 
the  eye,  shall  he  not  see  ?  ....  it  is  he  who  teaches  man 
knowledge.  fPs.  94:9,10].  They  who  make  them  [idols]  be- 
come [lxx]  like  them,  and  all  who  trust  in  them.  |Ps.ll5:8]. 
Who,  among  men,  knows  human  affairs  except  the  spirit  in 
man  ?  Likewise,  who  knows  the  things  of  God,  except  the 
Spirit  of  God?  [1  Cor.  2:11,  freely  translated  in  our  speech]. 
These  rational  statem.ents  show  the  imbecility  of  notions 
of  an  impersonal  God,  and  the  fact  that  we  become  assimi- 
lated to  our  conception  of  God;  also,  the  fact  that  we  can 
understand  the  things  of  God  only  as  we  receive  his  Spirit. 
Not  by  science,  philosophy,  occultism,  spiritism.,  or  evolution 
but  by  revelation  and  regeneration,  can  man  know  Tkuth. 


TiiEosoPHY  The  Perfect  Man    49 


WHAT  IS  MAN? 

Modern  Theosophy  says  that  man  is  "constitu- 
tionally independent  of  the  physical  body,"  i.  e., 
pure  spirit,  or  discarnate  spirit,  becoming  incar- 
nate from  a  pre-existent  state  in  the  spirit  world. 
This  is  directly  contrary  to  the  Bible,  which  says 
that  man's  body  was  created  first.  Then  God 
put  into  that  body  the  breath  of  life,  and  man 
becaijie  a  living  being.  Man  became,  net  was  al- 
ready. He  was  never  intended,  or  destined,  to 
live  as  an  unembodied  spirit.  There  never  was, 
:ind  never  Vv'ill  be,  such  a  being  as  man  apart  from 
(lie  complex  being  God  made  him — body,  soul 
and  spirit.  The  perfection  of  man  will  be  ac- 
complished only  when,  in  resurrection,  the  whole 
being  is  fully  redeemed.  "A  spirit  has  not  flesh 
and  bones,  as  you  see  me  have,"  said  Jesus  after 
his  resurrection.  The  hope  and  consolation  of 
the  Christian  is  not  in  a  disembodied  future,  as 
with  spiritists ;  not  in  being  unclothed,  but  to  be 
clothed  more  fully,  v/hich  is  quite  different  from 
any  "astral"  notion.  The  childhood  song  that 
has  long  been  accounted  very  pious,  'T  want  to 
be  an  angel,"  is  quite  at  variance  with  the  Chris- 
tian teaching.    The  redeemed  will  never  be  spirit 


50    Man  Never  Disembodied  Modern 

beings,  but  will  have  glorified  bodies  like  that  of 
the  Son  of  God  who  took  upon  himself  forever 
the  human  nature.  The  Man  in  the  Heavens 
will  have  many  brethren  with  him  in  glory. 


Who  will  transform  the  body  of  our  humihation 
into  a  Hke  form  with  the  body  of  his  glory. 

—Phil.  3:21. 
Beloved,  now  are  we  children  of  God,  and  it  has 
not  yet  been  manifested  what  we  shall  be.  But 
we  know  that,  if  he  should  appear,  we  shall  be 
like  him.  — /  John  2:2. 

.     .     that  we  may  present  every  man  perfect  in 
Christ.  —Col.  1:28. 


TiTEOSOPHY  An  Exploded  Superstition     51 


REINCARNATION 

Passing  over  the  theosophic  cosmogony,  with  its 
grotesque  theories  of  vibrations,  emanations  (or 
sparks),  and  its  low  conception  of  a  Supreme 
Being  that  is  but  a  conglomerate  mass  of  broken 
fragments,  we  come  to  the  doctrine  of  reincarna- 
tion, which  is  said  to  be  the  "central  truth"  of 
theosophy. 

It  is  not  at  all  a  new  notion,  but  a  revival  of 
the  ancient  pagan  superstition  of  transmigration. 
Is  it  not  remarkable  how  these  advocates  of  evo- 
lution go  back  to  ancient  and  long-ago  exploded 
theories  for  their  leading  doctrine  ?  And  is  it  not 
remarkable  how  people  of  Twentieth  Century 
boasted  enlightenment  are  so  ignorant  as  to  fall 
to  such  teaching? 

The  doctrine  of  reincarnation  is  a  perversion 
and  denial  of,  and  substitute  for,  the  doctrine  of 
resurrection.  It  is  an  attempt  to  explain  immor- 
tality and  perfection  without  either  a  redemption 
or  a  resurrection.  As  we  "put  on  incorruption" 
the  moment  we  are  raised  from  the  dead,  there 
is  no  place  for  another  incarnation  in  corrupti- 
ble flesh  in  order  to  further  develop  towards  im- 
*  mortality.     Reincarnation  is  an  impossibility  in 


52    flashes  of  ConsciGiisness  Modern 

the  Christian  system.  It  is  God  who  brings  to 
perfection  those  who  receive  His  life  into  their 
hearts  (as  in  Heb.  13:21),  and  this  is  to  be  done 
in  this  life  so  far  as  it  has  to  do  with  conditions 
in  the  other  world.  When  men  know  God  in 
Christ  Jesus — in  the  heart  consciousness,  or  spir- 
itual nature — they  have  immortality ;  for  they 
are  already  partakers  of  the  Divine  nature,  which 
is  immortal. 

Scripture  says :  **It  is  appointed  unto  men 
once  to  die,  and  after  this  the  judgment,"  which 
natly  contradicts  any  notion  of  reincarnation. 
The  only  evidences  for  reincarnation  offered  by 
theoscphy  are  the  conjecture  or  inference  from 
certain  strange  flashes  of  consciousness  and 
seeming  recollection  of  formiCr  experiences,  and 
the  testimony  of  the  mahatmas. 

As  for  the  flashes  of  consciousness  and  mem- 
ories of  the  past,  some  scientists  account  for 
them  by  the  theory  of  entailment  of  race-con- 
sciousness. But  that  does  not  satisfy  the  situa- 
tion. If  true,  such  experiences  should  be  general 
and  more  or  less  constant,  rather  than  sporadic. 
The  fact  that  persons  of  mediumistic  tempera- 
ment are  specially  disposed  to  such  experiences 
js  significant  of  a  more  definite  and  personal  agen- 
cy. So  far  as  I  have  learned,  Pythagoras  was 
the  first  to  record  such  experiences.  It  was  from 
him  that  Plato  got  the  theory  of  reincarnation. 


Theosopiiy  Obsession  by  Spirits     53 

But  Pythagoras  and  Plato  were  both  spirit  med- 
iums, in  fact,  though  not  in  professional  prac- 
tice. From  many  years  of  close  acquaintance 
with  this  matter,  I  explain  such  experiences  as 
due  to  obsession  from  spirits.  Entailment  of 
race  consciousness  could  produce  only  general 
and  vague  impressions,  whereas,  the  experiences 
in  question  are  of  quite  definite  and  personal 
items.  Now  discarnate  spirits  have  had  long  ex- 
perience in  this  world,  and  have  recollection  of 
events  and  of  people  from  ancient  times.  When 
they  attack  individuals,  their  own  mental  states 
are  impressed  upon  the  consciousness  of  those 
whom  they  obsess.  I  could  give  a  number  of  il- 
lustrative instances  if  space  permitted,  but  two  or 
three  may  be  useful  as  samples  that  clearly  in- 
dicate the  correctness  of  my  diagnosis.  [See  note 
on  personal  experience  in  appendix]. 

REINCARNATION    DENIED    AT    FIRST 

Reincarnation  was  expressly  denied  at  first  by 
those  who  put  forth  modern  Theosophy.  Olcott 
says  that  Blavatsky  did  so  by  direct  orders  from 
the  mahatmas,  who  then  directed  her  to  teach 
that,  at  death,  souls  go  to  other  planets  to  stay. 
After  the  visit  to  India,  and  six  years  after  the- 
osophy was  launched,  the  doctrine  of  reincarna- 
tion was  affirmed.  Olcott  says  it  was  by  express 
orders  from  the  mahatmas,  both  to  Blavatsky  and 


54     Superfluous  Claims  Modern 

to  himself.  He  recogized  the  strange  contradic- 
tion,  but  was  too  bhnded  by  the  evil  powers  to 
charge  the  mahatmas  with  fraud.  He  blamed 
himself  for  having,  somehow,  misunderstood  the 
mahatmic  wisdom  !  It  is  clear,  then,  that  the  doc- 
trine of  reincarnation  is  not  an  essential  in  the 
theosophic  system.  The  claims  for  its  import- 
ance are  entirely  gratuitous  and  superfluous.  But 
it  m.akes  a  hit  with  foolish  people  of  a  certain 
trend  of  mind,  and  is  useful  in  covering  up  the 
operations  of  demons.  The  gist  of  the  whole 
thing  is  this : 

Obsessing  spirits  have  consciousness  of  past 
experiences,  as  before  stated.  That  conscious- 
ness affects  the  minds  of  people  under  obses- 
sion in  the  line  of  the  psychic  intellection  just  de- 
scribed. In  ignorance  of  the  facts,  people  sup- 
pose that  such  recollections  are  of  their  own 
former  experiences  in  some  other  life,  or  at  some 
other  time.  In  so  doing,  they  fail  to  guard  against 
the  obsessing  attacks  of  the  spirits,  and  so  are 
more  easily  led  into  the  snare  of  actual  posses- 
sion. Very  cunning  are  the  ways  of  demons.  We 
need  to  know  the  devices,  as  Paul  said.  My  pur- 
pose in  dealing  with  this  subject  at  all  is  just  to 
this  end. 


The  claim  that  Origen  and  other  early  Christian  writers  taught  reincar- 
nation is  utterly  false.  On  the  contrary,  they  denounced  it  as  a  pagan 
Superstition.  By  gross  perversion,  certain  Bible  expressions  are  made  to 
appear  to  teach  the  doctrine,  but  the  misuse  is  easily  shown. 


TiiEOSOPHY  Pagan  Fatalism     55 


KARMA 

Inseparable  from  the  doctrine  of  reincarnation, 
is  that  of  Karma,  which  is  called  the  "second 
truth  of  Theosophy."  Stripped  of  its  mystical 
verbiage,  the  doctrine  is  simply  that  of  inexor- 
able retribution  for  all  conduct — not  from  any 
moral  standpoint,  but  in  the  bearings  actions  have 
on  the  evolution  of  selfhood  in  the  occult  life. 
Yet,  inconsistently,  this  inexorable  law  of  fate  is 
administered  by  the  "Lords  of  Karma"— the 
special  mahatmas  who  are  supreme  over  this  im- 
personal law!  There  is  no  missing  or  evading 
the  mahatmas  in  this  system  of  philosophical  ab- 
stractions ! 

The  doctrine  of  Karma  is  a  special  form  of 
ancient  pagan  fatalism.  There  is  no  "good  news" 
in  it,  and  it  is  directly  aimed  against  the  Chris- 
tian message  of  pardon  and  restoration  for  sin- 
ners. It  seeks  to  rob  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  of 
the  results  of  his  sufferings  as  saviour  and  re- 
deemer by  Winding  people  to  the  hope  that  is  in 
Christ.  Karma  demands  suffering  to  the  "bit- 
ter end"  for  all  wrong,  whereas,  Christ  offers 
deliverance  from  that  end  of  sorrow  and  suffer- 
ing. If  there  were  such  a  thing  as  a  karmic  rec- 
ord, Christianity  offers  to  blot  it  all  out.    Surely, 


56     Heartless  Desolation  Modern 

it  is  unbelief  that  makes  anyone  give  up  the 
Christian  way  of  hope  for  the  bitter  pill  of  theo- 
sophic  Karma. 

The  doctrine  of  Karma  makes  prayer  a  mock- 
ery, and  any  cry  for  mercy  to  be  but  wasted 
breath.  Karma  condones  nothing,  versus  love 
that  covers  a  multitude  of  sins.  Real  love,  com- 
passion and  mercy  have  no  place  in  the  "wisdom- 
religion."  The  word  "forgive"  is  not  in  the  the- 
osophic  dictionary.  Mahatmas  are  relentless 
masters.  What  a  drear,  desolate,  cheerless,  dead, 
ugly,  hideous  thing  is  this  theosophy !  Without 
heart  or  pity,  but  abounding  in  accusations,  re- 
criminations, and  unsympathetic  relentlessness ! 
The  law  of  Karma  surely  befits  a  demon-religion. 
It  is  abnormal,  unhuman,  insulting  to  the  God  of 
mercies,  and  a  mockery  of  those  who  sorrow  for 
sin. 

THE  GOSPEL  CONTRAST 

How  in  contrast  is  the  consolation  in  the  Gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ : 

"Hope  thou  in  God." 

"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  who  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

"When  we  were  without  strength,  in  due  time 
Christ  died  for  the  ungodly." 

"God  has  laid  help  upon  one  who  is  mighty." 
What  really  good  nezvs  the  story  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  to  struggling  humanity!  If  only  men  would 
believe,  and  so  find  the  joy  of  salvation! 


Theosophy  Sin  and  Matter     57 


ATONEMENT  AND  REGENERATION 

Theosophy  is  bitterly  opposed  to  the  Christian 
doctrine  of  atonement,  and  ridicnles  the  teach- 
ing that  vicarious  sacrifice  is  even  possible.  It 
repudiates  Jesus  Christ  as  helper  and  saviour,  and 
insists  that  men  are  competent  to  bear  their  own 
burdens  of  transgression — mistakes,  they  call 
them.  But,  when  not  arguing  against  Christian 
salvation,  theosophists  say  that  man  needs  hel]:), 
and  should  turn  to  the  niahatmas  for  it !  But  that 
help  is  in  the  line  of  magic ;  for  moral  and  spirit- 
ual defectiveness  are  denied.  Sin  is  repudiated 
as  a  spiritual  wrong,  but  is  held  to  be  mere  inac- 
curacy due  to  immaturity  of  development,  to  be 
overcome  by  education  and  self-culture.  Sin  is  a 
weakness  due  ciily  to  the  soul's  limitation  in  mat- 
ter!  Poor,  inert  matter  gets  all  the  blame  for 
sin  and  evil !  Even  Porphyry,  an  old-time  enemy 
of  Christianity,  knew  better ;  for  he  wrote  once 
to  his  wife:  "Accuse  not  thy  flesh,  but  thy  soul." 
Matter  is  not  unclean  of  itself :  it  is  only  a 
combination  of  chemical  elements.  What  seems 
filth  in  one  place  is  food  in  another.  We  get  rid 
of  much  foolishness  when  we  learn  to  regard 
things  in  the  absolute,  or  ultimate  reality,  and  not 
in  the  relative.    Jesus  said  that  eating  with  dirty 


58    Perverted  Imaginations  Modern 

hands  does  not  defile,  but  speaking  from  a  dirty 
heart.  Most  people  today  are  more  afraid  of  un- 
sanitary cups  and  towels  than  they  are  of  unholy 
hearts  and  unclean  imaginations.  "Nothing  is 
unclean  of  itself,  but  to  him  who  regards  it  un- 
clean, to  him  it  is  unclean,"  says  the  apostle  of 
spiritual  good  sense.  In  other  words,  it  is  all 
in  the  imagination,  that  anything  is  unclean,  and 
imagination  may  be  biased  either  from  ignorance 
(the  darkness  of  the  inner  light)  or  from  moral 
perversion.  "To  the  pure,  all  things  are  pure, 
but  to  the  defiled  nothing  is  pure  that  is  pure." 
It  is  abuse  of  the  material  that  perverts  the  men- 
tal attitude. 

Demons  had  no  right  to  meddle  in  matter,  nor 
to  seek  experience  in  the  flesh — they  were  creat- 
ed as  unembodied  spirits.  In  seeking  experience 
with  matter,  they  sinned  against  their  own  na- 
ture, becoming  thereby  perverted  in  their  thoughts 
of  matter,  until  matter  seems  to  them  to  be  evil. 
So  their  religions  have  always  represented  mat- 
ter as  essentially  and  inherently  evil.  The  de- 
monosophy  of  theosophy  is  clearly  indicated  in 
the  notion  that  matter  is  the  seat  of  evil,  and  the 
occasion  of  sin,  rather  than  its  victim  and  instru- 
ment. 

NIRVANA 

The  Christian  thinks  of  the  unchangeable  and 
everlasting  blessedness  of  Heaven  as  the  end  of 


TiiEOSoniY  End  of  Evolution     59 

life  experiences.  Thcosophists  hold  the  oriental 
notion  of  Nirvana — some,  as  the  consummation 
of  the  many  earth-rounds ;  others,  as  only  the 
''commencement,"  or  graduation  from  the  series 
of  incarnations  into  a  long  and  higher  evolution 
through  new  realms  of  endless  progress.  In  no 
case,  is  it  regarded  as  annihilation,  as  academic 
critics  have  affirmed.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  con- 
ceived as  an  intensification  of  consciousness,  far 
beyond  anything  that  mortal  man  ordinarily  ex- 
periences, or  conceives. 

Commonly  stated.  Nirvana  is  the  state  in  which 
the  individual  soul,  or  evolved  "spark,"  has  com- 
pleted its  evolution  back  to  the  original  source, 
and  has  been  united  again  with  the  IT  principle, 
as  a  drop  of  water  that  has  found  its  way  back 
into  the  ocean,  yet  not,  as  the  drop,  losing  in- 
dividuality, but  retaining  the  separate  self -con- 
sciousness acquired  through  its  temporary  sepa- 
ration. Apart  from  the  mysterious-looking  and 
pleasant-sounding  word,  there  is  nothing  in  Nir- 
vana to  attract,  and  only  deluded  minds  can  find 
in  the  theory  anything  at  all  comparable  to  the 
satisfaction  there  is  in  the  Christian  conception 
and  teaching. 

NO    DEVIL 

TiiEOSOPHY  declares  there  is  no  devil,  but  that 
what  many  call  the   Devil  is   only    their    "own 


60    An  Accusing  Voice  ^Iodern 

wicked,  depraved  and  polluted  souls."  The 
voice  of  the  accuser  here,  and  that  is  just  what 
the  word  devil  means — accuser,  or  slanderer.  In 
the  very  act  of  accusing  people  of  being  their 
own  devils,  theosophists  show  themselves  to  be 
children  of  some  kind  of  devil  from  whom  they 
got  the  notion  and  inclination  to  accuse.  If  peo- 
ple's souls  became  such  as  this  quotation  repre- 
sents, hov/  did  they  become  so,  when,  according 
to  the  theosophic  cosmogony,  they  emanated,  as 
all  others  did,  from  the  same  primal  and  pure 
source?  If  only  matter  is  evil,  how  can  these 
souls  be  impure?  Fall  somewhere,  surely!  If 
the  souls  of  some  people  may  he  bad,  why  not 
of  others?  Why  are  only  those  of  anti-devils 
depraved?  And  why  may  there  not  be- polluted 
souls  in  the  spirit  world,  even  evil  spirits? 

Jesus  Christ  said  there  is  a  devil,  and  there 
are  demons.  Do  Theosophists  accuse  Him  of 
only  uttering  his  own  inner  self  in  that?  Further- 
more, if  the  Devil  is  only  a  reflection  of  the  wick- 
edness in  some  men's  souls,  then  God  is  only  the 
reflection  of  the  good  in  other  men's  souls — and 
what  becomes  of  the  theosophic  denunciation  of 
the  alleged  anthropomorphism  of  the  God  of 
Christianity  ? 

FALL    OF    MAN 

The  theosophic  dogma  that  the  "descent  of  spirit 
into  matter"  constitutes  the  fall  of  man  contra- 


Theosophy  '  spirit  in  Matter     61 

diets  the  theosophie  eoSmogony ;  for,  according 
to  that,  there  was  no  matter  for  spirit  to  descend 
into.  Matter  is  only  the  congealed,  condensed, 
solidified  form  of  the  "sparks"  of  spirit,  or  vibra- 
tions, that  flew  ofT  from  the  central  source — oth- 
erwise said  to  be  those  same  sparks  burning,  or 
vibrating,  with  a  glovv^  of  their  own  as  they  de- 
vour other  sparks  of  their  environment!  The 
fall  of  man  is  only  his  temporary  absence  from 
the  spirit  world,  gaining  experience  in  matter, 
and  yet  matter  is  only  a  special  manifestation  of 
spirit !    How  clear ! 

But,  when  God  created  the  physical  world,  he 
called  it  good.  When  He  put  of  his  own  spirit 
into  the  material  body,  He  said  the  combination 
was  good.  He  did  not  regard  it  a  fall  for  spirit 
to  be  associated  with,  or  dwell  in,  matter — even 
his  own  spirit.  The  fall  of  man  was  not  in  his 
spirit  coming  into  matter ;  for  there  never  was 
any  man  at  all,  except  in  the  combination  of  spir- 
it and  matter.  The  fall  Vv^as  not  in  having  to  do 
Vv^iih  the  forbidden  fruit,  as  inat!er,  but  in  the 
disobedience,  which  v\'as  a  deflection  of  the  spir- 
itual, not  the  material.  Physical  degeneration  fol- 
lowed the  spiritual  fall.  Every  system  of  thought 
that  regards  matter  as  evil,  and  the  association 
of  the  spirit  with  matter  as  sin,  is  anti-Christian. 
The  express  test  of  antichrist  is  the  attitude  on 
this  A^er}^  point.     Scripture  states  definitely  that 


62    Self-Perfeciihility  Modern 

he  who  denies  that  Christ  came  in  the  flesh  is 
antichrist.  The  apostle  who  wrote  it  was  deal- 
ing with  this  very  gnostic  proposition  which 
modern  Theosophy  is  reviving.  Christ  created 
the  physical  v/orld  for  his  own  use.  To  regard 
it  as  evil,  is  to  accuse  him,  and  that  is  the  specific 
work  of  Satan,  who  dares  to  slander  God  as 
well  as  men.  Again,  I  emphasize  that  modern 
theosophy  is  demonosophy  under  a  stolen  name. 

REGENERATION 

Against  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the  new  birth 
as  a  change  of  heart,  wath  a  new  life  impulse, 
theosophy  continually  reiterates  the  perfectibili- 
ty of  human  nature  by  self-culture.  It  says : 
"We  have  it  in  our  power  to  perfect  curselves, 
and  by  and  by  to  transform  ourselves  complete- 
ly." God  says  we  must  be  transformed  by  the 
renewing  of  the  mind  through  the  operation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  with  the  truth,  not  by  evolution 
of  the  old  mind.  We  must  be  acted  upcn  from 
without  ourselves.  An  elm  can  not  evolve  itself 
into  an  oak,  nor  can  a  sinner  evolve  himself  into 
a  saint.  A  dead  soul  can  not  evolve  itself  into 
life,  and  fallen  man  is  dead  in  trespasses  and  in 
sins. 


Rom.  6:6;  Gal.  2:20,  5:24,  6:14;  Eph.  4:22-24;  Col.  3:5,9  and 
other  Scripture  repudiate  the  perfectibility  of  human  nature. 


Theosophy  Misuse  of  Bible    63 


ON  THE  BIBLE 

Theosophists  profess  to  class  the  Bible  with 
what  they  call  the  ''sacred  literature  of  the 
world,"  holding  it  to  be  no  more  authoritative 
than  any  other  literature.  In  practice,  they  give 
it  subordinate  rank,  and  declare  much  of  it  to  be 
of  no  value.  Especially  do  they  subordinate  it 
to  the  religious  literature  of  India.  They  are  not 
so  fastidious  in  culling  from  other  books  as  they 
are  from  the  Bible.  From  it  they  pick  out,  here 
and  there,  a  phrase,  a  sentence,  or  a  verse,  to  give 
an  appearance  of  impartiality,  and  the  impres- 
sion that  they  use  the  Bible  generally.  But  these 
they  pervert,  misinterpret  and  misapply  to  make 
them  seem  to  fit  theosophic  propositions.  It  is 
the  old  trick  of  the  Devil,  which  he  ventured  to 
use  even  with  Jesus,  but  so  completely  failed. 
He  would  fail  with  theosophists,  if  they  would 
do  as  Jesus  did — repulse  the  misuse  of  the  Bible 
by  familiarity  with,  and  use  of,  the  entire  text, 
and  not  twist  isolated  passages  from  their  orig- 
inal setting  and  meaning. 

These  ultra-wise  people  go  so  far  as  to  assert 
that  the  Bible  was  made  up  of  fragments  from 
ancient  literatures  of  pagan  peoples.  Queries : — 
How  comes  it  that  the  Bible,  if  so  made  up,  so 


64    Dishonest  Accusers  ?iIodern 

persistently,  consistently  and  sincerely  denounces 
the  doctrines  and  practices  set  fcrth  in  those  lit- 
eratures, and  teaches  things  utterly  at  variance 
with  them  ?  How  can  copied  sentences  contradict 
and  denounce  their  originals?  Echoes  do  not 
contradict  their  original  voices.  Most  remarkable 
coniortionists,  were  those  Bible  compilers!  If 
they  were  original  enough  tc^  make  excerpts  teach 
directly  contrary  to  the  books  from  which  taken, 
were  they  not  original  enough  to  produce  an  en- 
tire book  without  scissors  and  paste?  Nozvhcre 
docs  the  Bible  give  the  unprejudiced  reader  the 
impression  of  being  a  scrap-book  of  pagan  cul- 
lings.  Any  familiarity  with  the  Bible  text  makes 
such  a  proposition  rcdiculous.  No  honest  mind 
can  conceive  that  the  kind  of  men  who  wrote  the 
Bible  perpetrated  a  fraud  on  the  world,  braving 
thereby  the  scorn  and  violence  of  their  contemp- 
oraries. To  so  judge  them,  is  to  read  into  their 
conduct  the  insincerity  of  their  accusers.  The 
v/isli  to  overthrow  the  authority  of  the  Bible  is 
father  to  the  theory  of  fragmentary  compilation. 

I,  John,  .  .  .  was  in  the  island  called  Patmos  on  account  of 
the  word  of  God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus.      — Rev.  1:9. 

Why  did  John  and  thousands  of  other  Christians  suffer 
persecution,  and  even  mai-tyrdom  in  multitudes,  for  holding 
to  the  Bible,  if,  as  is  claimed,  it  is  only  a  scrap-book  of  cul- 
lings  from  the  literature  of  their  tormentors?  And  if,  as  is 
asserted  by  "progressive"  Bible  critics,  Jesus  was  merely  a 
product  of  his  age,  v/hy  were  his  followers  punished  by  the 
fellow-products  of  the  same  age  ? 


Theosophy  The  Paramount  Question    65 


ABOUT   JESUS    CHRIST 

"Whom  do  men  say  that  I,  the  Son  of  man,  am  V 
asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples.  Men's  opinion  re- 
garding Jesus  Christ,  when  sincere,  is  the  key 
to  their  real  selves.  It  reveals  their  spiritual  vi- 
sion, the  source  of  their  illumination,  the  basis  of 
their  religion,  the  character  of  their  inner  con- 
sciousness. During  the  apostolic  period  the  test 
of  orthodoxy  was  the  attitude  towards  the  per- 
sonality, or  identity,  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  ques- 
tion is  the  paramount  question  today.  Its  answer 
was  the  original  and  sufficient  creed  of  Christi- 
anity, as  expressed  by  Peter  in  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God,"  and  by  the 
Ethiopian  officer  in  'T  believe  Jesus  Christ  to  be 
the  Son  of  God." 

The  theosophic  interpretation  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  strikingly  characteristic,  and  clearly  indicative 
of  the  source  of  the  system.  The  same  misuse  is 
made  of  the  "name  that  is  above  every  name"  that 
certain  of  the  early  heretics  practiced. 

Theosophy  separates  Jesus  and  Christ,  apply- 
ing the  name  Jesus  to  the  man,  and  the  name 
Christ  to  the  spirit-being  they  say  was  in  him  as 
a  distinct  entity.     This  is  a  very  old  heresy  that 


66    Spirit  Birth  vs.  Possession  Modern 

appeared  in  the  early  church.  It  simply  makes 
of  Jesus  a  spirit  medium — a  man  possessed  and 
controlled  by  an  invading  spirit  from  the  other 
world.  Theosophy  has  no  proper  conceptic'n  of 
the  incarnation,  but  regards  it  as  merely  spirit- 
possession,  which  shows  the  calibre  of  the  whole 
system  to  be  restricted  to  the  notions  of  pagan 
religions.  It  would  degrade  the  birth  from  above 
to  the  level  of  the  diabolical  monstrosity  of  al- 
leging actual  invasion  of  human  bodies  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  just  as  in  demon-possession.  Indeed, 
in  the  horrible  perversions  called  in  Scripture 
the  "mystery  of  iniquity,"  it  has  come  to  pass 
that  certain  professedly  Christian  cults,  or  sects, 
that  prate  of  pentecostalism,  are  nothing  but  de- 
ceptive diabolisms.  It  has  been  proven,  and  I 
have  made  personal  observations,  that  the  power 
acting  in  present-day  trances,  tongues  and  accom- 
panying healings  is  the  power  of  demons  pretend- 
ing to  be  God.  It  is  in  exact  fulfillment  of 
Scripture  prophecy  concerning  the  last  days. 

The  Scriptural  statement  of  the  relation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  the  human  Spirit  of  the  believer 
is  that  of  a  fusion,  or,  rather,  a  growing  together 
of  the  two  natures — the  Divine  and  the  human — 
making  the  Christian  a  copy  of  the  incarnate  Son 
of  God.  Of  this  wonderful  and  glorious  truth, 
theosophists  and  other  spiritists  have  no  concep- 
tion at  all.    But  they  conceive  of  the  supernatur- 


TiiEOSOPHY  The  ''Ugly  Word''    67 

al  as  an  invading  spirit  that  enters  into  and  lit- 
erally controls  the  human  organism.  Instead  of 
making  man  to  be  a  Son  of  God,  they  would  make 
him  the  passive  puppet  of  controlling  powers.  In- 
stead of  inspiration,  they  seek  dictation.  Instead 
of  a  life  of  righteousness  and  holiness  spontane- 
ously springing  forth  from  a  regenerated  heart, 
they  seek  psychic  direction  in  the  mere  common- 
places of  carnal  existence.  Too  many  church 
folks  have  hardly  better  than  this  pagan  super- 
stitious piety,  failing  utterly  to  comprehend, 
much  less  realize,  the  real  meaning  of  spirituali- 
ty as  the  life  of  the  Christian  faith  and  practice. 

THE    LIE    CALLED 

In  I  John  2:22,  we  read:  ''Who  is  a  liar,  but  he 
who  denies  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ?"  People  to- 
day would  scold  John,  and  denounce  him  for 
lack  of  tolerance  and  courtesy,  in  calling  even 
such  heretics  and  false  teachers  by  the  "ugly 
word."  John  was  unfortunate  in  having  lived 
and  written  nearly  twenty  centuries  before  the 
World's  Parliament  of  Religions,  in  Chicago! 
What  could  be  expected  of  him  ?  He  was  only  a 
product  of  his  time  and  environment!  How 
could  John  know?  Religion  is  such  a  vague 
thing,  you  know  !  The  last  word  has  not  yet  been 
spoken  in  religion !  Others  might  be  as  near  the 
truth  as  John  was — and  considerably  nearer  in 


68    Politeness  vs.  Loyalty  Modern 

present-day  perspective,  as  some  theologians 
would  have  us  think !  Politeness  counts  for  more 
now  than  does  loyalty  to  God !  Tolerance  is  the 
supreme  virtue  of  the  day !  We  must  never  crit- 
icise anybody  !  "Never  blame  anybody"  is  one  of 
the  distinctive  dogmas  of  spiritism.  The  Devil 
resents  contradiction  and  correction  !  According 
to  John,  then,  theosophists  are  plain  1-i-a-r-s  ;  for 
they  say  that  Jesus  was  not  Christ,  but  only  a 
human  medium  for  "the  Christ"  to  work,  or 
manifest,  through — a  mere  passive  channel  of  the 
Spirit,  as  some  pseudo-Christians  also  talk. 


In  the  beginning  was  the  Logos,  and  the  Locos 
was  with  God,  and  the  Logos  was  God  [John  1:1]. 

That  which  was  from  the  beginning,  that  which 
we  have  heard,  that  which  we  have  seen  with  our 
eyes,  that  which  we  have  gazed  upon  and  our 
hands  felt,  concerning  the  Life  ....  we  declare 
unto  you.  [I  John  1:1,3]. 

How  infinitely  better  is  this  view  of  Jesus  Christ 
than  is  the  devilish  caricature  theosophy  offers ! 


Theosophy  Prayer  and  Personality    69 


ON  PRAYER 

Theosophic  teachings  regarding  prayer  are 
words  that  darken  counsel,  and  counsel  darkness. 
We  would  not  expect  much  place  for  prayer  in 
a  system  of  fatalism,  of  self-evolution,  of  an  im- 
personal IT  for  supreme  Deity.  In  its  very  nature 
prayer  is  a  personal  appeal  to  a  personal  being. 
Who  but  a  person  can  hear?  Who  else  can  an- 
swer ?  What  abstraction  can  know  the  thoughts  of 
men,  much  less  their  affections  and  purposes? 
What  can  know  the  heart  of  man,  but  one  who 
also  has  a  heart?  Is  there  no  self-conscious  be- 
ing greater  than  man  who  can  feel  with  and  for 
him?  The  very  instinct  to  pray  indicates  a  Per- 
son to  respond,  as  the  instinct  to  talk  is  based  on 
the  existence  and  presence  of  a  listener. 

What  theosophists  call  prayer  is  nothing  of  the 
kind.  It  lacks  the  first  esentials  of  prayer.  For 
most  part,  it  is  only  an  affirmation  of  self  to  self, 
together  with  a  kind  of  hypnotic  reaching  out 
of  the  will  to  bring  the  "cosmic  forces"  into  the 
control  of  one's  self  for  the  accomplishment  of 
one's  own  purposes — notwithstanding  the  "self- 
lessness" of  theosophic  life !    It  is  a  mental  wav- 


70    Magic  Use  of  Will  Modern 

ing  of  the  magician's  wand  to  summon  the  re- 
sponse of  occult  powers.  The  following  formula 
for  morning  use  by  children  illustrates  one  kind 
of  theosophic  prayer: 

"I  am  a  link  in  the  Golden  Chain  of  Love,  that 
stretches  around  the  world,  and  must  keep  my 
link  bright  and  strong.  So  I  will  try  to  be  kind 
and  gentle  to  every  living  thing  I  meet,  and  to 
protect  and  help  all  who  are  weaker  than  myself. 
And  I  will  try  to  think  pure  and  beautiful 
thoughts,  to  speak  pure  and  beautiful  words,  and 
do  pure  and  beautiful  actions.  May  every  link 
in  the  Golden  Chain  become  bright  and  shiny." 

That!  That  a  prayer!  Self  the  supreme  thought! 
An  affirmation  of  self,  not  a  prayer  in  any  sense ; 
for  prayer  implies  a  consciousness  of  self-failure 
and  insufficiency  needing  help  from  without. 
Contrast  the  ''Lord's  Prayer,"  in  which  the  whole 
acknowledgment  and  aspiration  are  Godward,  not 
selfward. 

Aside  from  this  kind  of  alleged  prayer  and  for- 
mal mantras,  prayer  is  not  encouraged  in  the 
spoken  form,  but  in  that  of  a  silent  will-prayer 
we  may  term  it— a  magic  use  of  the  will  to  con- 
trol things.  It  is  much  the  same  attitude  of  mind 
as  that  of  gamblers,  who  try  to  will  the  shuffle 
or  the  throw  to  result  as  wanted.  This  will- 
prayer,  or  concentration  of  mind,  is  to  be  direct- 
ed, they  say,  to  "  'Our  Father  in  heaven'  in  its 
esoteric  meaning,  which  is  entirely  different  from 


Theosophy  The  "Father  in  Secret"     71 

the  one  given  to  it  in  theology.  A  Theosophist 
addresses  his  prayer  to  his  Father  which  is  in 
secret."  This  "Father  in  secret"  is  defined  to  be 
the  ''higher  self"  of  each  soul.  So  theosophic 
prayer  is  directed  to  one's  self ! 


MEN   OUGHT  ALWAYS  TO  PRAY 
AND  NOT  TO   FAINT — Lk.  18:1. 

The  emphasis  of  this  is  even  stronger  in  the  lit- 
eral Greek — "it  is  necessary,"  or  "  there  is  need," 
always  to  pray,  and  not  "  be  discouraged,"  or  "de- 
spair." Utter  dependence  on  God  is  the  normal 
human  attitude,  not  self-assertive  self-reliance,  as 
theosophists  teach.  Some  years  ago,  when  this 
book  (which  was  born  in  a  furnace  of  trial  heated 
seven  times  seven  times)  was  in  its  inception,  at 
a  time  when  is  seemed  as  though  there  were  no 
heaven  or  God  to  pray  to,  the  ever  faithful  Para- 
clete kept  reminding  me  of  this  text,  and  carried 
safely  through.  It  works,  no  matter  how  hard 
the  situation,  and  regardless  of  feelings.  Faith 
gets  the  victory,  not  feelings.  We  are  to  endure 
as  seeing  the  invisible,  not  concious  of  a  presence. 


See  Appendix,  page  188,  for  note  on  the  claim  that  Jesus  was  an  E^ene. 
This  footnote  belongs  at  bottom  of  page  68,  but  was  overlooked. 


72     Heaven  of  Darkness  Modern 


ON  DEATH 

Theosophy  boasts  that  it  frees  men  from  fear, 
especially  the  fear  of  death.    It  says : 

When  we  realize  the  great  truth  of  reincarna- 
tion, when  we  know  that  we  have  often  before 
laid  aside  physical  bodies,  then  we  shall  see  that 
death  is  no  more  to  us  than  sleep — that,  just  as 
sleep  comes  in  between  our  days  of  work  and 
gives  us  rest  and  refreshment,  so  between  these 
days  of  labor  on  earth  which  we  call  lives,  there 
comes  the  long  night  of  astral  and  heavenly  life 
to  give  us  rest  and  refreshment,  and  to  help  us 
on  our  way. 

So  the  theosophic  heavenly  life  is  a  night!  The 
Christian  heaven  is  one  of  eternal  day.  'There 
shall  be  no  night  there."  God  is  its  light,  and  with 
him  is  no  darkness  at  all.  A  heaven  of  night 
must  be  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness — the  Devil's 
own. 

Christianity  offers  quite  a  different  recipe  for 
escaping  the  fear  of  death.  *'In  order  that,  by 
means  of  his  death,  He  [Jesus]  might  vanquish 
him  who  has  the  power  of  death — that  is,  the 
Devil, — and  might  liberate  those  who,  by  fear  of 
death,  were  during  their  whole  life  held  in  bond- 
age," is  more  satisfactory  than  the  preposition 


TiiEosoPHY  Death  Abnormal    73 

of  theosophy.  The  victory  of  Jesus  over  death 
and  the  grave  is  the  assurance  that  he  will  deliv- 
er all  his  followers  likewise.  Faith  in  that  is 
more  rational  than  is  belief  in  .mahatmic  declara- 
tions which  first  deny  reincarnation,  and  then 
affirm  it.  The  promise  of  God  is  sufficient  to 
those  who  trust  him. 

Theosophists,  like  all  spiritists,  say  that  death 
is  a  beautiful  friend — a  mere  incidental  nap  in 
the  ages  of  recurrent  experiences.  God  says  it 
is  an  enemy  to  be  overcome — the  last  one  in  hu- 
man experience.  It  is  not  a  normal  process,  like 
sleep,  hence  the  universal  fear  of  it  among  men. 
It  is  a  penalty  for  sin,  which  is  a  violation  of  the 
normal  life  of  man.  Man  was  not  created  to  die. 
Without  sin,  he  would  never  have  experience  of 
death.  Only  those  who  belong  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  have  any  reason  to  feel  secure  in  death. 
Only  they  who  have  accepted  his  redemption 
have  any  basis  for  courage.  Fear  of  death  is  not 
due  to  ignorance,  but  to  a  guilty  conscience  that 
quails  before  an  instinctive  apprehension  of 
judgement.  And  after  death — What?  Not  the 
theosophic  night  in  heaven,  but — the  judgment. 
No  reincarnation  to  look  forward  to  as  another 
opportunity,  but,  to  the  unbelieving,  "a  certain 
fearful  looking  forward  unto  judgment,"  says 
God.  Death  ends  probation.  If  not,  there  is 
nothing  beyond  so  dangerous  and  so  awful  as  to 


74    End  of  Probation 


Modern 


justify  the  Son  of  God  in  coming  down  to  earth 
to  die  for  men.  The  Devil  would  have  men  be- 
lieve that  death  is  only  a  night's  rest  between  in- 
carnations, so  that  they  will  not  prepare  for  the 
Judgment  in  the  way  that  makes  the  work  of  re- 
demption to  be  effectual. 


Bible 

The  wages  of  sin  is  death. 

Sin  bringeth  forth  death. 

Sin  entered  into  the  world, 
and  death  by  sin. 

It  is  appointed  unto  men 
once  to  die,  and  after 
that  the  Judgment. 


Truths 

The  Devil's  pay. 

The  logical  fruit. 

Death  not 
natural. 

No  returning 

after  a  night's  rest 

for  another  life  here. 


To  die  is  gain  [for  Christians].  Not  a  night. 


Blessed  are  they  who 
die  in  the  Lord. 


No  blessedness  in 
the  theosophic  notion. 


Thedsophy  Prying  Curiosity     73 


OCCULTISM  AND  PSYCHISM 


POWER  AND   MAGIC  RIGHTEOUSNESS 

The  third  plank  in  the  platform  of  the  Theo- 
sophical  Society  reads :  *To  investigate  the  un- 
explained laws  of  nature,  and  the  powers  latent 
in  man."  This  is  a  prying,  or  intruding,  into 
things  not  seen,  condemned  in  the  Bible,  and 
proven  by  all  experience  to  be  disastrous  in  every 
way.  Occultism  does  not  deal  with  the  real 
laws  of  nature,  nor  the  latent  powers  in  man, 
but,  as  investigation  has  repeatedly  shown,  with 
supernatural  operations  and  supersensible  powers 
and  conditions — the  World  of  spirits.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  platform  is  only  a  blind  to  deceive 
people  into  thinking  the  processes  to  be  all  right, 
as  truly  normal,  even  as  scientific  scholars  are 
deceived  in  what  they  call  "'Psychical  Research," 
thinking  they  are  investigating  unfamiliar  natural 
forces,  while,  in  reality,  meddling  with  evil  spirits. 
Anything  approaching  a  satsifactory  discussion 
of  this  topic  would  require  twice  the  space  we 
have  for  this  whole  book,  so  we  may  pass  it  now 
with  only  a  few  comments.    In  any  investigation 


76     Occultism  and  Magic  Modern 

of  the  occult,  even  for  controversial  purpose, 
there  is  danger.  But,  as  occultism  holds  a  large 
place  in  Theosophy  and  other  cults  of  the  day 
that  thrust  themselves  upon  our  notice,  it  can 
not  be  wholly  evaded.  So  it  is  better  that  those 
who  know  something  of  Satan's  devices  should 
set  the  matter  forth  in  a  way  to  guard  those  who, 
through  not  knowing,  are  liable  to  fall  into  the 
snare. 

The  occult  powers  which  theosophy  proposes  to 
use  for  the  uplift  of  man  include,  according  to 
its  own  list,  "clairvoyance,  telepathy,  levitation, 
the  occult  transportation  of  bodies,  and  the  ma- 
terialization by  the  occultist  of  a  physical  body 
at  a  distance."  Nov/  this  is  identical  with  the 
work  of  spiritualism,  ciily  disguised  by  a  slight- 
ly different  cloak.  This  ultra-spiritual  religion 
resorts  to  materializations  that  are  beyond  the 
natural  as  a  phase  of  its  spiritual  service  to  man- 
kind !  As  everything  material  is  so  bad,  and  the 
primary  object  of  theosophy  is  to  put  down  ma- 
terialism, it  would  seem  that,  instead  of  adding 
to  it  by  occult  powers,  theosophists  would  seek 
to  eliminate  it  altogether !  The  short  and  simple 
fact  is  that  magic  is  the  real  thing  in  theosophical 
effort. 

Occultism  is  offered  as  a  short-cut  process  to 
boost  the  evolution  of  man,  in  contradiction  of 
theosophic  insistence  upon  the  inevitable  round 


Theosophy  True  Othcr-Worldncss    77 

of  prolonged  evolution  through  successive  incar- 
nations. Magic  and  evolution  are  made  com- 
rades in  the  wonderful  system  of  "wisdom  re- 
ligion" self-styled  theosophy!  Why  should  not 
these  people  repudiate  the  Bible,  when  it  declares 
that  magic  excludes  from  heaven,  and  sorcery 
is  condemned  as  an  evil  work  of  the  flesh? 

The  power  Christians  are  to  seek  and  cultivate 
is  the  power  unto  righteousness  and  holiness,  ex- 
pressed in  service  to  God  through  service  to  men. 
Instead  of  cultivating  the  occult,  and  prying  into 
the  unseen,  the  Christian  way  is  the  way  of  faith 
in  unseen  and  intangible  realities — the  eternal 
verities  of  God's  own  nature,  not  spirit  creatures 
playing  with  magic.  We  are  not  to  try  to  find 
out  the  details  of  the  invisible  world,  nor  its 
activities,  but  to  trust  God  to  take  care  of  that  in 
all  v/isdom  and  goodness.  We  have  all  we  can 
attend  to  in  this  world,  doing  it  in  the  spirit  of 
eternal  truth,  which  is  the  mind  of  God.  In  the 
prayer  of  our  Lord  for  His  disciples,  he  said  •. 
"I  pray  not  that  thou  should'st  take  them  out  of 
the  world,  but  that  thou  should'st  keep  them  from 
the  evil."  The  other- worldness  of  Christians  is 
not  occultism,  but  the  living  on  the  plane  of  this 
world  a  life  that  is  directed  by,  and  filled  with, 
the  spirit  and  principles  of  Heaven.  The  super- 
naturalism  of  Christianity  is  not  in  attempting  to 
live  the  disembodied  life  of  spirits  by  embodied 


78    Significant  Sign-Seeking  Modern 

men.  Gcd  incarnate  in  Jesus  Christ  is  our  pat- 
tern, not  even  angek,  much  less  demons.  The 
miraculous  signs  that  attested  the  Divine  Source 
of  Christianity  were  not  intended  to  be  a  per- 
manent phase  of  the  system,  as  plainly  taught  in 
the  New  Testament.  The  permanent  elements 
of  power  are  spiritual,  namely,  faith,  hope,  love. 
To  cite  the  ancient  seers  and  prophets  as  our 
exemplars,  in  their  ^nsions,  voices  and  various 
phenomena,  is  to  ignore  the  facts  of  Christian 
testimony.  The  situation  is  clearly  stated  in 
Hebrews  I  :1,  2 — "God,  having  anciently  spoken 
in  many  portions  [fragmentary  utterances  or 
revelations]  and  by  various  methods  to  the 
fathers  by  the  prophets,  in  these  last  days  spoke 
to  us  by  his  Son."  Since  the  full  truth  of  God 
was  revealed  to  man  in  Jesus  Christ,  there  is  no 
more  need  or  place  for  the  fragmentary  and 
shadowy  communications  that  marked  the 
ancient  dispensation.  Anything  purporting  to 
be  a  repetition  or  continuance  of  those  ancient 
methods  is  a  delusion  and  a  repudiation  of  the 
revelation  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Jesus  said  that  the  demand  fcr  occult  phenom- 
ena as  demonstration  of  the  unseen  marks  a  sin- 
ful and  adulterous  generation.  Faith  expresses 
the  moral  attitude  that  is  due  towards  God,  and 
is  essentially  a  manifestation  of  our  own  in- 
tegrity.    Not  to  accept  beyond  what  is  seen,  is 


Theosophy  Glorying  in  Shame    79 

to  impugn  the  integrity  of  him  who  testifies.  It 
is  a  law  of  our  personaHty  that  we  judge  others 
by  ourselves.  Therefore,  unbelief  is  an  expres- 
sion of  the  lack  of  integrity  in  the  doubter. 
''Blessed  is  he  who  has  not  seen,  and  yet  be- 
lieves" is  the  way  Jesus  stated  it.  The  word 
**blessed,"  in  the  Greek,  means  being  of  a  higher 
and  nobler  quality  of  personality.  Theoscphists 
are,  therefore,  among  those  who  "glory  in  their 
shame" — their  own  lack  of  integrity.  Yet  they 
presume  to  dictate  to  the  world  what  truth  is! 
He  who  is  himself  true  accounts  God  to  be 
true,  and  beheves  in  His  word. 

MAGIC SHORT-CUT  TO  ATTAINMENT 

The  noise  theosophy  makes  about  wanting  to 
help  humanity  is  but  an  echo  of  the  voice  of  the 
serpent  in  Eden,  who  beguiled  Eve  with  the 
promise  of  supreme  attainment  by  the  short-cut 
method  of  disobedience  in  eating  the  forbidden 
fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 
It  reiterates  the  proposition  of  Satan  to  Jesus 
Christ,  to  satisfy  his  hunger  by  a  miracle  and 
to  acquire  a  reputation  by  display  of  supernatur- 
alism.  Short-cut  processes  are  not  the  kind  God 
generally  uses  or  approves.  He  needs  not  to 
hurry.  *'He  that  believes  shall  not  make  haste"  is 
a  good  motto  for  these  times,  when  the  world 
is  in  feverish  haste  about  everything.     The  pro- 


80    Place  for  Miracles  Moder]^ 

cesses  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  are  described 
by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  terms  of  patient 
waiting  for  wheat  to  grow,  mature  and  ripen. 
When  conditions  call  for  special  intervention 
God  can  do  miracles,  and  does  do  them.  He 
can  speak  and  things  become.  He  can  raise 
the  dead  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  He  can 
feed  a  multitude  with  a  handful  of  food  when 
emergency  requires.  But  He  does  not  do  such 
things  as  curious  displays,  nor  when  normal 
processes  [which  were  established  by  himself] 
are  adequate  to  the  occasion.  God  sent 
an  angel  to  open  prison  doors  and  re- 
lease an  apostle,  when  that  was  the  thing  to  be 
done,  but  at  another  time  left  an  apostle  to  be 
let  down  from  a  wall  in  a  basket.  He  healed  many 
sick  by  a  word,  and  again  left  Trophimus  to 
the  rest-cure,  and  Timothy  to  the  tonic  use  of 
wines.  He  called  Saul  by  a  vision  and  a  voice 
from  heaven,  but  calls  the  world  by  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel.  He  wrought  unusual  miracles 
through  the  Apostle  Paul  at  Ephesus,  but  re- 
fused to  remove  the  thorn  of  affliction  and  per- 
mitted him  to  suffer  sickness  and  infirmity.  He 
saved  the  life  of  the  writer  by  direct  miracle  on 
five  occasions,  and  thrice  by  giving  special 
strength,  agility  and  presence  of  mind,  but  has 
permitted  him  to  suffer  sore  affliction  for  many 
years.    God's  methods  are  not  rigid,  but  adapted 


Theosophy  Imitation  Miracles    81 

to  the  working  out  of  the  "eternal  weight  of 
glory"  he  has  reserved  for  his  redeemed  chil- 
dren. When  we  learn  to  abide,  to  rest,  and  to 
rejoice  in  That  Will,  we  have  reached  the  per- 
fection of  manhood  in  Jesus  Christ  who  said 
"Not  my  will,  but  thine,"  and  "I  delight  to  do 
thy  will,  O  God." 

God  does  not  protect  those  who  act  in  presump- 
tion. Magic  is  an  unauthorized  imitation  of  the 
power  of  God,  and  is  exercised  through  the 
agency  of  wicked  spirits  who  have  some  limited 
povv-er  in  the  physical  field.  But  it  is  distinctly 
forbidden  by  God,  and  is  practiced  for  unholy 
purposes.  When  the  Corinthian  Christians  became 
proud  of  their  genuine  supernatural  gifts  (to  be 
exercised  only  under  the  direction  of  the  Holy 
Spirit),  the  apostle  reproved  them,  showing  that 
they  were  not  for  display  but  for  a  special  testi- 
mony under  special  circumstances.  He  showed 
the  better  way  of  Christian  spirituality,  and 
warned  of  the  time  when  those  gifts  would  cease, 
as  being  no  longer  needed.  P'or  when  that  which 
is  complete  (the  proper  rendering  of  the  Greek 
vv'ord  sometimes  translated  "perfect")  is  come 
there  is  no  further  need  of  the  kindergar- 
ten methods.  When  the  apostles  had  "filled  up," 
or  completed,  the  message  of  God  to  the  world 
and  had  attested  it  by  ample  evidence,  the  world 
was    required    to    follow    that    truth    without 


82     Revelation  Completed  Modern 

looking  for  further  revelations  or  demonstrations. 
To  do  so  is  to  repudiate  what  has  been  given 
and  declared  to  be  the  full  revelation  of  God. 
In  his  intercessory  prayer  (John  17)  Jesus  pray- 
ed for  all  who  should  believe  in  him  through  the 
testimony  of  the  apostles.  No  other  or  later 
revelations  were  to  be  given.  In  correcting  cer- 
tain abuses  in  the  Corinthian  church,  the  apostle 
Paul  (1  Cor.  14:36)  asked,  "Did  the  Word  of 
God  go  out  from  you,  or  did  it  only  come  to 
you  ?"  We  also  read,  "Salvation  is  of  the  Jews." 
The  revelation  of  God  to  the  world  v/as  given 
through  the  Jevv^s.  There  has  been  no  revelation 
through  the  Gentiles,  and  never  can  be.  All  al- 
leged revelations  since  the  time  of  the  apostles 
have  been  deceptions  from  evil  spirits. 

Magic  is  of-  evil  only,  whether  "white"  or 
"black."  It  is  not  strange  that  theosophists  re- 
pudiate the  Bible,  for  it  condemns  magic  as 
among  the  worst  of  sins.  The  power  Christians 
are  to  seek  and  practice  is  the  power  unto  holi- 
ness ;  the  power  to  do  righteousness ;  the  pov/er 
to  serve  God  in  the  service  of  man.  Such  power 
has  no  recognition  or  mention  in  the  theosophic 
system,  whose  affected  righteousness  and  holi- 
ness are  but  a  strange  medley  of  pagan  super- 
stition— even  the  "devil's  righteousness"  and 
goodness. 


Theosophy  Faith  versus  Prying    83 


THE  "ASTRAL  PLANE" 

Theosophic  literature  abounds  in  references  to 
the  "astral  plane/'  and  other  planes  said  to  be 
higher  than  that.  It  is  not  worth  while  to  go 
into  full  details  about  this — it  belongs  to  the 
unseen  things,  the  prying  into  which  accompanies 
a  puffed-up  mind  and  a  lack  of  confidence  in  God, 
that  is  not  content  to  let  him  manage  the  unseen 
and  the  future  while  following  his  revealed  will 
regarding  man,  in  faith  and  humble  obedience. 
Meddlesomeness  with  the  supernatural  has  no 
place  among  Christians.  God  has  revealed  his 
purpose  as  being  to  "present  every  man  perfect 
in  Christ  Jesus,"  and  the  way  thereto  is  fully 
set  forth  in  the  Bible.  "It  does  not  yet  appear 
what  we  shall  be,  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall 
appear  we  shall  be  like  him"  is  all  the  assur- 
ance that  faith  asks,  or  that  true  spirituality 
can  use  in  the  present  state  of  development,  and 
it  precludes  all  prying  into  the  invisible  realms. 
Whoever  has  this  hope  purifies  himself  from  all 
wicked  ways,  and  looks  for  the  Lord  from 
Heaven.  Waiting  patiently  for  the  redemption 
of  the  body  in  the  resurrection,  enduring  as  see- 
ing him  who  is  invisible  (not  trying  to  actually 


84     The  "Spirit  Plane"  Modern 

see  him),  and  overcoming  by  faithful  testimony 
on  account  of  the  blood  of  Jesus — this  is  the 
story,  the  biography,  of  the  spiritual  life,  in  con- 
trast to  the  mock  spirituality  of  spiritistic  phe- 
nomena. 

The  "spirit  i:)lane,"  as  it  is  called  by  spiritists, 
is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the  "Summer  Land." 
It  is  the  plane  on  which  Swedenborg  professed 
to  see  heavenly  affairs — the  alleged  spirit  coun- 
terparts of  the  material  objects  on  earth:  the 
scenery,  cities,  houses,  schools,  people,  and  even 
animals ;  the  fences,  ditches,  roads,  etc.,  for  every 
object  on  earth  is  held  to  be  but  a  materializa- 
tion of  spirit  objects  in  the  astral  world,  the 
world  of  "shades"  in  ancient  mythology.  It  is 
on  this  "astral  plane,"  says  theosophy,  that  all 
that  transpires  on  this  earth  is  reflected,  or  is 
recorded  in  photographic  records,  so  that  the 
history  of  individuals,  nations  and  races  of  men 
can  be  read  as  in  a  book  by  those  who  have  "as- 
tral vision,"  or  clairvoyant  power.  The  "astral 
plane"  is  where,  they  say,  the  nature-spirits,  or 
fairies,  live  and  cut  up  capers — the  brownies, 
trolls,  imps,  goblins,  etc.,  of  superstitious  folk- 
lore so  much  gloried  in  by  those  who  provide 
literature  for  the  young,  but  which  the  word  of 
God  says  to  avoid  as  false  and  foolish.  On  this 
plane  are  found  the  powers  which  magicians 
evoke  to  their  aid  in  conjuring.    From  the  shades 


TiiEosoPHY  "Astral"  Journeys    85 

of  the  astral  plane  apparitions  come,  and 
"thought  forms"  that  are  materialized  by  the 
etherial  ''astral  substance."  From  this  uncanny 
place  come  spooks  to  haunt  and  annoy. 

Theosophists  seek  to  attain  a  condition  wherein 
they  are  able,  supposedly,  to  cause  their  spirits 
to  leave  their  bodies  and  go  out  on  the  astral 
plane  to  travel  about  inspecting  the  ghost  world, 
and  to  meet  and  converse  with  others  who  also 
function  there,  especially  the  guides,  gurus  and 
mahatmas.  These  shades  have  the  form  of  the 
physical  body,  but  are  not  physical,  being  a  sort 
of  astral  mist — such  beings  as  fairy  stories  tell 
of.  Not  only  may  the  spirit  leave  the  body,  to 
function  on  this  plane,  but  the  power  may  be 
developed  of  seeing  on  that  plane  Vv^hile  in  the 
body  and  fully  awake,  it  is  claimed.  Truly,  this 
is  living  by  sight  and  not  by  faith.  It  leads  to 
very  disastrous  results,  being  a  phase  of  spirit- 
ism. These  people  think  they  have  reached  a 
high  degree  of  advancement  when  they  can  thus 
read  the  secrets  of  the  lives  of  their  fellow-men, 
invading  the  sanctuary  of  every  human  mind 
they  wish  to  with  prying  eyes,  without  even  the 
customary  knock  at  the  door !  Who  but  God, 
the  Creator  and  Judge,  has  such  a  right?  And 
He  reads  men's  thoughts  through  their  hearts, 
which  none  others  do. 


86     Spirit  Communications  Modern 


CLAIRVOYANCE 

Clairvoyant  vision,  sometimes  called  "second 
sight,"  is  the  power  to  see  not  only  objects  and 
persons,  but  conditions  and  events,  on  the  astral 
plane,  as  they  have,  are,  or  will  be  worked  out 
on  earth.    Theosophists  say : 

Clairvoyance  places  its  possessor  in  correspond- 
ence with  the  afifairs  of  the  higher  worlds,  en- 
abling him  to  see  and  hear  what  is  going  on  in 
these  realms,  and  also  to  cognize  the  facts  and 
conditions  at  points  remote  in  both  space  and 
time.  Hence,  not  only  is  such  a  man  a  seer  for 
the  present,  but  also  for  the  past.  Under  Cer- 
tain restrictions  he  may  also  investigate  some  of 
the  affairs  of  the  future. 

In  the  Christian  way,  correspondence  with 
heaven  is  only  by  faith,  without  even  trying  to 
imagine  a  view  of  spirit  realms  or  persons  or 
events.  No  Christian  attempts  to  hold  communi- 
cation vv^ith  any  there  but  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  Nor  does  he  try  to 
see  what  God  has  not  chosen  to  reveal.  We  are 
not  to  try  to  find  out  what  is  going  on  in  the 
spirit  world ;  v^e  have  all  we  can  attend  to  in 
the  life  of  faith  amid  the  conditions  of  this 
world.      Christians  are  to  be  in  the  world,  but 


Theosophy  True  Supernaturalism     87 

not  of  it.  Jesus  prayed  that  the  Father  would 
keep  his  followers  from  the  evil,  not  that  he 
would  take  them  out  of  the  world.  The  other- 
worldness  of  Christians  is  not  occultism,  but  the 
living  on  the  plane  of  this  world  a  life  that  is 
directed  by  the  spirit  and  principles  of  heaven. 
The  supernaturalism  of  Christianity  is  not  the 
magic  of  spiritism,  but  the  bringing  into  the  nat- 
ural of  the  power  of  God,  restoring  the  normal 
v/hich  had  been  broken  by  sin.  Jesus  reconciled 
all  things  unto. God  through  his  participation  in 
the  natural,  both  things  in  heaven  and  things  on 
earth.  He  restored  to  man  the  divinity  that  was 
lost  by  transgression,  but,  as  Adam,  so  Jesus  and 
his  followers  did  not  affect  to  live  a  disembodied 
existence,  even  to  the  extent  of  temporary  flights 
into  the  spirit  world.  Even  the  resurrection  state 
is  not  one  of  disembodiment,  as  has  already  been 
noted.  We  cannot  emphasize  too  strongly,  in 
these  days  of  delusions,  the  fact  that  the  Chris- 
tian life  is  one  of  faith  in  the  unseen,  including 
faith  in  the  testimony  of  Christ's  apostles,  who 
saw  him  in  the  flesh,  not  on  the  "astral  plane." 
The  exception  of  Paul  is  strictly  unique,  as  ex- 
plained by  himself,  for  a  special  purpose  and  not 
to  be  repeated.  The  visions  of  John  for  apoca- 
lyptic purpose  make  no  claim  to  being  visions  of 
the  spirit  world,  but  symbohc  visions  of  events, 
which,  having  no  basis  in  past  experience,  could 


88     Visions  and  Voices  Modern 

not  be  represented  in  the  ordinary  way,  but  re- 
quired the  sj^ecial  treatment  given  them.  The 
vision  that  Paul  had  of  the  third  heaven  was  not 
describable  in  the  terms  of  ordinary  earthly  con- 
ditions. Peter's  visicii  of  the  sheet  let  down  from 
heaven  full  of  all  manner  of  creatures  was  for  a 
special  object-lesson,  not  as  a  showing  of  any 
astral  existence.  Paul's  vision  of  the  Lord  was 
not  of  any  astral  or  spook  form,  but  of  the  res- 
urrection body,  in  order  to  qualify  him  for  the 
apostleship. 

The  vision  of  horsemen  and  chariots  about 
Elisha  was  a  special  method  adapted  to  the  cir- 
cumstances. There  is  no  reason  to  think  of  the 
objects  seen  as  being  actual  "astral"  entities. 
There  are  no  spirit  horses  [Isaiah  31:3].  Nor 
are  there  spook  chariots.  The  seers,  or  prophets, 
of  Israel  made  no  claim  to  being  clairvoyants 
with  power  to  function  on  any  "astral  plane." 
What  visions  they  had  were  specially  given  them 
for  use  in  teaching  the  people  and  not  acquired 
by  themselves  for  their  own  gratification  or  show 
of  supernormal  abilities.  Instead  of  being 
glimpses  of  spirit  entities,  they  appear  to  have 
been  what  we  might  term  psychic  cartoons  of 
events.  In  those  ancient  days,  before  the  Ploly 
Spirit  had  been  given  to  man,  God  had  to  use 
the  best  means  adapted  to  the  situation,  and  He 
made  use  of  such  psychic  manifestations  as  vis- 


Theosopiiy  Effete  Rudiments     89 

ions  and  voices.  And  until  the  full  revelaticii 
of  Christ  even  the  first  Qiristians  had  such  helps 
and  experiences.  But  those  "rudiments"  (in 
the  language  of  Paul)  passed  away  and  we  now 
have  the  testimony  of  the  already  revealed  v/ord 
to  guide  us.  What  has  been  revealed  needs  not 
to  be  revealed  again.  The  history  of  all  alleged 
revelations  (showings  by  visions  and  voices) 
since  the  apostles  passed  away,  proves  that  they 
are  delusions  from  deceiving  spirits. 


Whereof  I  am  made  a  minister,  according 
to  the  dispension  of  God  which  is  given  to 
me  for  you,  to  fulfil  the  word  of  God ;  the 
mystery  which  has  been  hid  from  ages 
and  from  generations,  but  now  is  made 
manifest  to  his  saints,        — Col.  1:25,26. 

This  passage  contains  more  than  is  commonly  understood. 
The  Greek  word  rendered  "  fulfil  "  does  not  mean  simply  to 
accomplish,  or  carry  out,  what  is  already  established,  but  it 
means  to  fill  full,  complete  or  finish,  what  had  been  incom- 
plete. The  Lord  Jesus  had  left  certain  things  to  be  made 
clear  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  apostle  Paul  was  selected 
as  special  ambassador  to  proclaim  the  universal  application 
of  the  gospel  of  grace.  Paul,  by  the  Spirit,  actually  spoke 
"the  last  word  in  religion,"  so  far  as  Christian  doctrine  is 
concerned.  The  finality  and  sufficiency  of  the  thus  com.- 
pleted  gospel  is  reiterated  by  Paul,  and  needs  emphasis  in 
this  day  of  disturbing  delusions  through  alleged  new  reve- 
lations and  occult  discoveries.  Let  us  hold  fast  what  we  have. 


90    Serpent  in  the  Grass  Modern 


FASCINATION,  OR  HYPNOTISM  AND 
SUGGESTION 

A  PECULIAR  fascination  attends  spiritistic  and 
theosophic  teaching  and  practice.  They  suit  cer- 
tain elements  in  the  carnal  mind  and  have  the 
subtle  hypnotic  power  of  the  spirits  that  work  in 
them.  Fascination  suggests  the  serpent's  eye. 
The  truth  of  God  is  not  fascinating,  nor  even 
welcome,  to  the  natural  man.  Only  by  divine 
grace  can  it  be  received,  appreciated  and  follow- 
ed. Theosophy  glories  in  the  power  of  fascina- 
tion it  has  over  a  certain  type  of  mentality.  A 
text-book  of  the  cult  concludes  with :  "Those 
who  will  study  this  theosophic  teaching  will  find, 
as  vv^e  have  found  who  are  older  students,  that 
year  after  year  it  will  grow  more  interesting  and 
more  fascinating."  It  is  not  safe  to  go  after 
any  teaching  that  is  fascinating,  and  this  book 
gives  earnest  warning  to  every  reader  to  beware 
of  the  serpent  that  hides  in  the  grass  of  the- 
osophic teaching. 

Fascination  was  practiced  in  the  ancient  pagan 
mystery-religion,  of  which  modern  theosophy  is 
largely  a  revival.  Back  of  those  rites  and  cere- 
monies   was   an   underlying   element   of    mental 


Theosophy  Psychic  Intoxication    91 

suggestion  to  incite  by  impressions,  to  excite  the 
feelings,  to  lead  to  action  that  was  impulsive,  un- 
reasoning, hypnotic.  It  is  the  thing  found  among 
the  Moqui  Indians,  who  work  themselves  into 
frenzy  by  certain  rites  if  incantation  in  connec- 
tion with  their  serpent-worship.  It  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  methods  of  auctioneers  who,  by  loud  sing- 
song voice,  reiterating  a  few  simple  phrases,  put 
themselves  into  a  sort  of  magic  state  and  work 
a  "spell"  upon  the  crowd  to  make  it  "lose  its 
head"  and  offer  inconsiderate  bids.  It  is  prac- 
ticed b}'  many  "evangelists"  and  '"revivalists" 
who  work  upon  the  emotions  and  sentiments  of 
the  hearers  to  secure  immediate  response  to  their 
appeals.  It  is  the  element  in  "'m.agnetic"  speak- 
ing and  "magnetic"  personality.  It  is  the  thing 
behind  all  ecclesiastical  effort  to  produce  "a 
religious  atmosphere"  by  architectual  devices, 
ritualistic  ceremonies,  costumings,  posturings, 
intonations,  and  dramatic  settings  or  effects. 
Even  so  good  a  thing  as  music  is  perverted  to 
the  base  use  of  a  hypnotizing  vehicle. 

Psychic  intoxication  is  today  largely  substitut- 
ed for  real  Christian  living,  until  actual  immoral- 
ity is  glossed  over  in  communities  that  make 
m/dch  show  of  ceremonial  piety  in  church  "ser- 

Be  ye  not  as  the  horse  or  the  mule,  which  have  no  understanding,  whose 
mouths  have  to  be  held  in  with  bit  and  bridle  [Ps.  32:9],  is  applicable  to 
the  matter  of  psychic  control — substituting  impulse  for  reason.  Hyp- 
nosis and  other  schemes  for  moving  to  emotional  action  are  dangerous. 


92     The  Christian  Appeal  'Modern 

vices"  and  "revivallstic"  demonstrations.  Quite 
in  contrast  to  this  is  the  New  Testament  teaching 
as  to  Christian  worship  and  living,  ^  where  the 
appeal  is  always  to  the  understanding  and  con- 
science, never  to  the  feelings.  Instead  of  trying 
to  influence  by  "suggestion",  Jesus  and  the 
apostles  always  gave  instruction,  and  stated  the 
plain  reasons  and  principles  of  action.  It  is  the 
function  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  the  applica- 
tion to  every  heart  that  is  susceptible.  He  does 
it  by  convincing  of  truth,  not  by  the  magic  in- 
fluence of  hypnotism.  He  persuades,  not  com- 
pels. Because  certain  pagan  elements  of  supersti- 
tion and  perversion  have  been  tolerated  and  used 
in  the  churches  ever  since  the  Romish  harlotry 
was  instituted  (that  monstrous  commingling  of 
Christian  and  pagan  elements  in  religion) — ^be- 
cause of  this  have  theosophy  and  other  spiritisms 
met  little  opposition  in  Christendom. 

See  notes  in  Appendix,  pages  189-192. 

ETHERIC    CURRENTS 

Theosophists  say  there  are  "great  etheric  cur- 
rents constantly  sweeping  over  the  surface  of 
the  earth"  with  irresistible  power,  which,  by  cer- 
tain methods,  may  be  utilized.  There  is  also 
an  "etheric  pressure,  somewhat  corresponding 
to,  though  immensely  greater  than,  the  atmos- 
pheric pressure."  Scripture  tells  of  this  very 
thing,  but  in  other  words,  as  follows : 


Theosophy  Poivers  of  ihe  Air    93 

Our  wrestling  (hand-to-hand  conflict)  is  not  with 
blood  and  flesh,  but  with  the  governments,  with 
the  authorities,  with  the  world-rulers  of  this  dark- 
ness, with  the  spiritual  forces  of  wickedness  in 
the  atmosphere   [Ephesians  6:12]. 

Many  Christians  know  this  from  actual  and  con- 
scious experience.  Only  the  spiritual  are  able 
to  discern  and  understand  the  meaning  of  cer- 
tain influences  and  powers  that  are  constantly 
operative  in  the  earth.  Others  are  blind  in 
understanding,  and  interpret  them  as  only  pecu- 
liar "atid  unknown  natural  forces.  Scripture 
says  that  Satan  is  the  ruler  c<f  the  ''powers  of 
the  air,"  and  indicates  that  our  atmosphere  is 
infested  by  evil  spirits.  They  act  in  various 
ways — by  hypnotic  influences  ;  by  pressure  ;  by 
vibratory  sensations  upon  the  nervous  systems 
of  people ;  by  magnetic  drawings ;  by  soothing 
or  by  irritating  atmospheric  effects,  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  spirits  working  in  any  case ; 
by  interference  with  the  workings  of  nature ; 
by  meddling  in  the  operations  of  human  inven- 

Note:-In  the  above  quotation,  the  Greek  word  rendered  "atmosphere" 
is  commonly  translated  "  heavenly",  or  "celestial."  But  it  is  also  used 
to  designate  the  region  of  the  stars,  and  even  the  place  where  birds  fly. 
Robinson's  Lexicon  of  N.  T.  Greek  cites  this  very  passage  as  using  the 
word  for  the  lower  heavens,  or  the  air.  Prominent  commentators  give 
like  interpretation.  In  Eph.  2:2,  Satan  is  callod  the  ruler  of  the  powers 
of  the  air,  in  accord  with  all  Scripture  teaching  and  Jewish  traditions. 
Murdock's  translation  of  the  Syriac  New  Testament  renders  the  word 
in  question  "beneath  heaven."  Our  word  atmosphere  fits  and  is  a  con- 
sistent rendering.  Much  of  the  mystery  of  occultism  and  spiritism  dis- 
appears when  we  recognize  the  real  situation  as  Scripture  states  it,  and 
quit  fumbling  with  speculations  about  different  kinds  of  mind. 


94     ''Cosmic  Forces'^  Modern 

tions ;  by  starting  and  carrying  contagious  dis- 
orders in  epidemics  or  plagues ;  by  impressions 
of  various  kinds ;  by  voices ;  by  producing 
visions,  etc.  Their  devices  are  many,  adapted 
to  all  conditions. 

Theosophy  calls  these  powers  of  the  air  the 
"cosmic  forces,"  designating  them  as  beneficent 
and  divine.  Its  aim  is  to  bring  people  into  har- 
mony with  these  forces.  The  promise  is,  that, 
by  following  directions,  men  may  gain  control 
of  these  divine  cosmic  forces.  Men  supreme 
over  divinity !  But,  in  reality,  those  who  go  into 
the  thing  become  slaves  to  the  controlling  spirits 
unto  whom  they  seek  under  the  blind  of  "hid- 
den forces,"  "atmospheric  pressure,"  "magnetic 
currents",  "cosmic  force",  etc.  Some  details 
might  be  given  here  of  experience  and  observa- 
tion in  these  things,  but  it  would  only  add  to 
what  others  have  written,  and  need  not  be  re- 
peated now. 

Telepathy 

This  topic  falls  under  the  preceding  head ;  for 
telepathy  is  a  form  of  hypnotic  influence  exer- 
cised at  a  distance.  No  Christian  may  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  any  form  of  hypnotism.  No- 
body has  any  right  to  try  to  control  another's 
mind  or  conduct  by  any  occult  influence — by  in- 
vading  his    personal    freedom,    or    entering   his 


Theosophy  Scientific  Credulity    95 

personality.  God,  himself,  does  not  so  violate 
man's  free  will,  but  appeals  to  his  choice  through 
informing  him  of  the  truth.  God  does  not  even 
convert  people  by  force,  notwithstanding  the 
frantic  appeals  of  a  certain  type  of  "'evangelists" 
to  persuade  him  to  come  down  and  "make  them 
hit  the  trail",  or  shake  hands,  or  come  to  the 
altar,  or  decide.  Salvation  is  not  within  the 
realm  of  magic,  but  comes  through  belief  of  the 
truth.  The  Society  for  Psychical  Research  has 
"investigated"  telepathy,  along  with  other  things, 
and  brought  it  into  somewhat  common  notice. 
But  such  inquiries  are  in  blindness,  and  help 
spread  the  evil  by  admitting  certain  realities 
while  failing  to  discern  the  real  significance,  leav- 
ing the  impression  that  natural  forces  are  at 
work  where,  in  fact,  spirit  intelligences  are  the 
agents.  To  some  extent,  the  latter  has  been  con- 
ceded as  a  possibility,  and  a  few  members  of  the 
Society  have  given  up  the  work  of  prying.  On 
the  whole,  the  work  of  the  Society  has  been  a 
boost  to  spiritism,  by  making  it  have  a  place  of 
respectability  among  scientists.  Men  without  the 
mind  of  God  can  not  discriminate  in  spiritual 
things,  and  their  efforts  to  invade  the  supernatur- 
al are  sure  to  result  disastrously. 

The  word  "telepathy"  is  from  two  Greek 
words — tele,  at  a  distance,  and  pathos,  feeling. 
That    is,    telepathy    is    communication    between 


96     ''Tfioitght  Transference'''  Modern 

minds  separated  by  some  distance,  by  the  trans- 
mission of  thought  impulses,  or  feehngs,  or  im- 
pressions. 'Thought  transference",  it  is  also 
called.  It  has  been  defined  as  "a  communication 
between  mind  and  mind  other  than  through  the 
known  channel  of  the  senses."  But  this  is  mis- 
leading; for  the  feelings  do  affect  the  senses. 
The  real  mystery  is  not  so  much  the  channel 
as  the  agency.  Feelings  can  be  excited  without 
physical  contact.  Experimenting  with  telepathy 
logically  accompanies  dabbling  with  the  occult 
and  spiritistic.  They  are  all  of  the  same  realm 
of  psychic  and  demonic  perversion  and  delusion. 
The  findings  of  investigators  show  the  close  re- 
lation between  alleged  telepathic  communications 
and  those  obtained  through  spiritistic  mediums. 
Close  study  of  the  subject  results  in  the  opinion 
that  telepathic  commvmications  are  transmitted 
through  the  agency  of  spirit  messengers.  The 
subject  can  only  be  thus  briefly  noticed  in  this 
place,  with  warning  against  meddling  with  it  at 
all.  There  is  danger  and  death  in  the  practice 
of,  and  experimenting  with,  any  occultism. 

In  John  1:48,49,  we  read  that  Jesus  told  Nathanael  that  he 
had  seen  him  under  the  fig  tree,  alluding  to  the  custom  of 
private  prayer  in  the  shade  of  one's  garden.  Nathanael  at 
once  recognized  and  confessed  Jesus  to  be  God.  Clairvoy- 
ant vision  and  telepathy  are  a  part  of  the  "  mystery  of  in- 
iquity "  that  would  imitate  the  omnipresence  of  God. 


Theosophy  Perversion  and  Falsehood    97 


THE    CHRIST'S    SECOND    COMING 

Or,  rather,  the  next  coming;  for  theosophy  says 
that  "the  Christ"  has  come  to  earth  several  times, 
and  is  to  reappear  again  soon.  False  religions 
seize  every  doctrine  of  Christianity  to  pervert  it, 
and  that  of  the  second  coming  of  Christ  does  not 
escape.     A  theosophic  text-bcok  says : 

When  we  speak  of  the  Christ,  we  theosophists  mean 
Him  to  whom  others  refer  when  that  wondrous 
word  is  used,  though  we  knov/  that  there  are  many 
Christs,  if  we  use  the  term  in  its  generic  sense. 

A  plain  lie !  They  know  nothing  of  the  kind. 
Any  generic  use  of  the  name,  and  any  suggestion 
of  more  than  one  Christ,  disowns  the  Christ 
whom  history  records  and  whom  Christianity 
honors.  Here,  theosophy  says,  there  are  "many 
Christs,"  but  elsewhere  it  says  there  is  one 
Christ  who  reappears  in  different  incarnations ! 
The  quotation  is  meant  to  imply  that  the  "others" 
mentioned  are  Christians,  but  the  implication 
does  not  apply.    The  book  continues : 

But  he  who  once  came  before  men  to  deliver  that 
message  of  His  which  should  be  the  religion  of  myr- 
iads of  men  in  Western  incarnation  is  for  us, 
too,  The  Christ,  and  He  it  is  who  shall  one  day 
be  a  Christ  for  all  the  world. 

Note   the  cunning  artfulness   in  apparently   en- 


98     The  Universal  Christ  Modep.n 

clorsing  the  real  Christ,  and  then  turning  the 
mind  to  an  utterly  false  and  perverted  applica- 
tion of  the  name.  Note,  also,  that  no  designation 
is  made  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  of  "He", 
with  only  an  implied  identification.  The  state- 
ment is  intended  to  be  equivocal,  as  are  many 
mahatmic  utterances,  in  keeping  with  the  ancient 
methods  of  oracular  messages.  The  "Christ 
Principle"  which  theosophy  says  appears  in  vari- 
ous incarnations,  is  the  lying  spirit  who  comes  as 
false  Christs  to  lead  ignorant  and  unbelieving 
people  into  false  religions.  The  implication  is 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  only  a  local  and 
temporary  manifestation  of  this  "Christ  Prin- 
ciple" to  the  Jewish  nation.  But,  in  fact,  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  for  the  whole  world,  so 
positively  and  repeatedly  stated,  and  so  widely 
attested  in  human  experience,  that  only  wilful 
perverters  can  misrepresent  as  does  theosophy. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  world-saviour.  "God 
was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  him- 
self." "God  so  loved  the  zvorld  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotton  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
"Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel 
to  every  creature."  At  Pentecost,  the  miracle  of 
tongues  was  a  sign  that  the  gospel  was  for  all 

Hebrews  9:26  gives  the  logical  and  rational  refutation  of 
any  notion  that  Christ  had  been  repeatedly  incarnated. 


Theosopiiy  The  Unchanging  Christ     99 

nations.  Could  any  other  Christ  be  more  uni- 
versal ?  Theosophers  are  plain  deceivers — spiders 
catching  flies— in  the  pretense  of  offering  the 
only  universal  religion.  Jesus  Christ  is  both  Son 
of  God  and  Son  of  man.  Could  anyone  be  more 
universal  or  more  absolutely  representative  of 
both  the  Divine  and  human?  In  him  dwelt  "all 
the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  corporeally" — incar- 
nate. Could  any  other  incarnation  be  more  com- 
plete? A  greater  Christ  is  an  impossibility,  in- 
conceivable except  to  deluded  minds.  The  text- 
book continues : 

Soon  he  shall  come  again  as  has  long  been  foretold ; 
soon,  in  a  third  or  a  half  a  century.  He  shall 
come  and  move  among  us,  even  here  in  America, 
to  prepare  a  new  religion,  to  give  a  new  message 
to  men. 

This  is  another  pretense  of  endorsing  the  Bible 
in  its  teaching  of  the  second  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ,  but  quite  perverting  it.  When  the  Lord 
returns,  it  will  be  "the  same  Jesus  who  went  up 
into  heaven,"  not  another  incarnation.  The  coming 
will  be  in  power  and  glory,  to  judge  and  rule  the 
world,  not  to  teach  or  prepare  a  new  religion. 
There  is  nothing  new  to  be  taught  in  the  matter 
of  man's  salvation  and  redemption;  for  he 
taught  before  "the  whole  counsel  of  God."  The 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  everlasting  glad  tid- 
ings.   He  is  "the  same  yesterday,  today  and  for- 


100     The  Established  Truth  Modern 

ever."  There  is  not  evolution  of  God  or  of  truth. 
'Torever,  O  God,  thy  word  is  estabHshed  in 
heaven."  What  theosophy  and  the  proposed  new 
teacher  pave  the  way  for  is  the  Antichrist — 
they  use  the  name  minus  the  prefix,  that's  all ! 


Jesus  said  unto  them :  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you.  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am. 

—John  8:58. 


Theosophy  Christianity  Reversed     101 


THE    NEW    RELIGION 

A  Theoso^hic  writer  says :  "An  unrest  which 
at  present  manifests  itself  by  an  investigation 
of  every  new  creed  or  cult  that  comes  along,  but 
which  is  slowly  becoming  more  and  more  direct 
in  its  purpose"  characterizes  the  versatile  Ameri- 
can mind.  This  increasingly  definite  purpose  is 
to  overthrow  real  Christianity,  if  possible  (but 
the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it)  by 
the  establishment  of  a  new  universal  religion, 
backed  up  by  the  civil  powers.  What  will  this 
new  religion  be  ?     The  text-book  says : 

It  is  to  be  a  Brotherhood-of-Man  religion.  In  it  we 
shall  be  led  to  realize  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  Its 
creed  is  Love.  Have  we  Aot  been  promised  that 
Love  shall  redeem  the  world?  The  day  is  at 
hand  for  the  promise  to  be  fulfilled.  Why?  Be- 
cause the  stage  of  the  Evolution  of  the  Race  per- 
mits  it. 

More  misrepresentation  hidden  in  language  that 
deceives  by  apparent  endorsement  of  the  Bible.- 
Here  is  a  direct  reversal  of  Christianity — propos- 
ing to  find  God  through  a  man-religion,  whereas, 
the  true  way  is  to  find  God  and  his  kingdom 
first,  and  therein  find  the  real  meaning  of  man. 


102     Significant  Symbolism  Modern 

Jesus  reveals  God  to  man,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
through  the  truth  develops  Divine  sonship  in 
man,  in  that  way  uniting  God  and  man,  and  giving 
man  the  true  life.  Man  finds  his  normal  self 
only  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  "second  Adam",  in 
whom  dwells  the  Spirit  of  God  lost  by  the  first 
Adam.  He  does  not  find  himself,  much  less  God, 
through  any  "brotherhood-of-man"  religion. 
Love  has  already  redeemed  the  world  in  Jesus 
Christ,  whose  work  can  not  be  repeated.  "He 
died  once  for  all."  If  any  are  not  redeemed,  it 
is  because  they  refuse  or  neglect  to  accept  what 
Love  has  already  offered.  They  would  do  the 
same  way  again,  if  the  process  were  to  be  re- 
peated,  so   repetitic-n   w^ould   be  superfluous. 

The  signs  which  tell  of  the  approach  of  the 
Antichrist  are  those  in  which  theosophists  rejoice  ; 
for  he  is  their  god,  whom  they  are  eager  to  wel- 
come v/ith  open  arms.  Among  the  signs  that 
please  them  they  name  the  increasing  regard  for 
symbology,  in  a  superstitious,  carnal,  and  un- 
christian way.  After  specifying  the  current  prac- 
tice of  wearing  emblematic  pins,  buttons,  badges, 
"sacred"  pictures:  swastikas  (of  the  East,  repre- 
senting the  sacred  wheel  of  Tohat)  ;  the  square, 
circle,  triangle,  cross,  etc. ;  going  to  "sacred" 
concerts  and  j)lays ;  singing  of  a  certain  type, 
etc. — after  mentioning  these,  an  article  in  a  theo- 
sophic  journal  says : 


Theosophy  Faith  vs.  Fancy     103 

What  does  this  mean?  Who  can  rejoice  in  the  ex- 
planation more  than  we?  It  means  that  the  work 
of  the  Masters  [demons]  is  going  on  [Quite 
true!]  All  are  knowingly  or  unknowingly  linked 
to  these  guides  who  are  leading  men  to  great 
Unity  with  God  [Satan].  Ours  is  the  privilege  to 
see  the  glory  and  the  sweetness  of  the  common 
purpose  underlying  all  these  movements. 

Poor,  vain,  deluded  fancy !     How  great  will  be 
the  disillusionment !     This  all  has  to  do  with  the 
establishment  of  an  anti-Christian  religion  in  the 
world.    All  the  things  here  named  as  signs  of  a 
coming  new  order  are  of  the  carnal  nature,  not 
the  spiritual.  They  are  of  sentimental  materiaUsm 
—the   fancies  of   natural  minds   encouraged   by 
the  deceptions  of  demons.    They  are  of  sight,  not 
of  faith,  and  cultivate  the  mind  in  the  direction 
of  image-worship.     Faith  has  no  use   for  such 
symbols,  such  toggery  of  a  cheap  idolatrous  re- 
ligion.    The  symbolism  designated  is  that  of  an- 
cient nature-worship  in  several  of  its  forms,  m- 
cluding  the  worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies  and 
sex-worship,  the  details  of  v/hich  would  convince 
any   reader   that   any  cult   that   advocates    such 
symbolism  must  be  of  the  demons  of  darkness. 
A  little  attentive  reflection  would  startle  many 
unthinking  people  by  the  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  educational  processes,  in  schools,   Sunday- 
schools,  churches,  and  literature,  all  combine^  to 
help  on  the  apostacy  into  paganism  by  cultivating 
materialistic,  psychic,   fanciful   (or  sentimental) 
and  even  superstitious,  thinking. 


104    Insulting  Jesus  Christ  Modern 


MAGIC  PUT  ABOVE  JESUS  CHRIST 

In  addition  to  what  has  gone  before  on  this  topic 
we  have  to  consider  by  themselves  a  few  declara- 
tions of  purpose  on  the  part  of  theosophy  that 
show  more  openly  the  diabolical  intelligences 
back  of  the  scheme.  Substituting  magic  for  Jesus 
Christ  as  a  saving  power,  the  statement  is  made 
that  the  human  mind  should  be  allowed  to  "look 
upon  psychic  forces,  instead  of  attributing  all 
progress  to  a  blind  faith  and  the  leadership  of 
an  anointed  one",  meaning  Jesus  Christ.  The 
declaration  aims  to  destroy  all  restraint  of  author- 
ity ever  the  conscience  through  Christian  in- 
stitutions and  teachings.     It  says  : 

Libert}'-  of  thought  is  what  we  want  in  the  world, 
personal,  individual  freedom,  possibility  for  all  men 
to  come  into  relations  and  knowledge  of  their 
soul  without  the  intervention  of  paid  and  lying 
servile  priests,  who  keep  the  people  ignorant  in 
order  to  reap  a  harvest  of  avarice.  The  best  way 
to  secure  this  is  to  break  down  dogma,  institutions 
and  all  manner  of  devices  upon  the  part  of  organ- 
ized religion,  to  maintain  suzerainty  over  the  minds 
and  intellects  of  men.  When  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land goes  down,  and  every  other  form  of  organized 
thought  as  to  man's  relation  with  his  soul,  then 
the  Master  will  indeed  come  and  institute  the  thou- 
sand years  of  peace  upon  the  planet  earth. 


Theosophy  Theosophic  Esotcrism     105 

This  reads  like  anarchical  literature,  but  is  from 
a  book  purporting  to  have  been  dictated  by 
Blavatsky.  Here  the  serpent  shows  his  fangs. 
What  could  more  plainly  identify  mahatmas  with 
demons,  preparing  the  way  for  the  false  Christ, 
even  the  "lawless  one"  ?  This  scheme  is  declared 
to  be  the  one  Blavatsky  always  had  hi  mind — 

To  make  the  work  of  Theosophy  a  beacon  light  to 
the  world  at  large,  that  it  might  feel  the  leaven  of 
liberty  working  to  free  the  mortals  of  bondage 
[to  Christianity],  give  their  souls  a  fresh  impetus, 
struggling  to  express  the  power  of  spirit,  and 
tear  down  not  only  the  incubus  of  superstition 
in  theology,  but  the  false  respect  and  prestige  en- 
joyed by  an  antiquated  philosophy  of  life  and 
death.  Our  v.ork  was  to  be  merely  preparatory 
to  the  coming  of  the  "Master"  himself,  and  that 
good  was  best  accomplished  that  would  serve  to 
introduce  him  to  the  world. 

This  work  is  styled  the  "esoteric  part  of  The- 
osophy." The  real  hidden  work  of  the  cult  is 
in  being  the  forerunner  of  Satan  himself,  as  the 
Antichrist,  posing  in  the  name  of  Christ  reincar- 
nated. Scripture  says  that  he  v/ill  exalt  him- 
self above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  is  worshipped. 
The  pretensions  of  theosophy,  we  have  seen,  go 
to  extreme  affectation  of  goodness  (by  the  stand- 
ards of  occultism),  above  anything  that  is  ration- 
al, normal,  or  that  God  designates  in  his  word. 


106     Doctrine  and  Conscience  Modern 


MODERN    THEOSOPHY 

WHITHER? 

DOCTRINE  DIRECTS  PRACTICE 

The  relation  between  doctrine  and  practice  is 
more  intimate,  and  the  determining  influence  of 
teaching  over  practice  is  more  definite,  than  is 
recognized  or  admitted  by  some  people.  The 
moral  sense  is  guided  by  conscience  according  to 
the  perception  of  the  nature  and  authority  of 
God.  The  first  questions  in  regard  to  any  cult 
of  religion  should  properly  be,  What  is  the  con- 
ception of  God?  and  What  does  it  teach  in  regard 
to  the  relations  between  God  and  man?  Moral- 
ity is  shaped  by  these  two  considerations.  The 
common  attitude  of  men  today  is  one  of  indif- 
ference towards  God.  He  is  not  supreme  in  their 
thought  and  consideration,  not  to  mention  affec- 
tion. The  pronounced  irreverence  of  our^ay  is 
in  keeping,  not  with  open  infidelity  and  atheism 
so  much,  as  with  the  current  unworthy  teachings 
regarding  the  nature  of  God.  Not  only  Theos- 
ophy,  but  also  other  cults  that  hold  to  the  su- 
premacy of  an  impotent  IT,  or  of  an  abstraction, 
or  of  self-operative  law,  or  of  ideals,  cultivate 
a  sense  of  irresponsibility  towards  any  but  self. 


TiiEOSOPHY  Paretic  Tolerance     107 

Authority  is  obnoxious  to  the  present  genera- 
tion, even  to  the  point  where  children  have  h't- 
tle  respect  for  parents,  and  their  elders  despise 
law  and  evade  it  where  they  care  to.  Conscience 
towards  God  is  the  only  real  safeguard  to  society 
and  to  individual  righteousness.  A  lawyer  neigh- 
bor who  became  interested  a  little  in  Theosophy 
asked  me,  not  what  it  teaches  about  God,  but 
Vv'hether  there  is  any  immorality  in  it.  Any  con- 
ception of  God  that  is  not  Christian  is  neces- 
sarily fictitious  and  wanting  in  authority  over  the 
conscience.  The  qualities  of  Godhood  revealed 
in  the  incarnate  Son  of  God,  even  the  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ,  are  the  only  ones  which  have  any  ade- 
quate uplifting  power  in  human  thought  and  con- 
science. God  made  flesh  and  lifted  up  in  suf- 
fering is  the  only  power  that  can  draw  mxcn 
unto  righteousness  and  holiness.  So  the  Gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God  is  the  only  message  of  real 
good  news  to  the  human  race,  and  that  is  the 
Christian  doctrine. 

HOW   TOLERANCE   WORKS 

At  the  very  outset,  we  are  confronted  with  a 
monstrosity  in  the  application  of  the  dogma  of 
universal  tolerance.  Theosophy  teaches  that  sin 
can  not  be  condoned  or  pardoned ;  for  the  inex- 
orable law  of  Karma  excludes  mercy.  Yet,  in 
discussing  brotherhood  and  tolerance,  the  propo- 


108    Practical  Application  Modern 

siticn  is:  "He  [the  theosophist]  can  not  but 
be  always  tolerant  because  his  philosophy  shows 
him  that  it  matters  little  what  a  man  believes 
so  long  as  he  is  a  good  man  and  true."  Good 
by  what  standard?  His  own  notion  is  the  only 
one  recognized  by  Theosophy.  True  to  what? 
To  one's  own  inner  light,  and  to — the  mahatmas, 
of  course! 

The  notion  regarding  the  indifference  of  be- 
lief is  everywhere  thrust  forward  today.  But, 
whatever  any  pseudo-philosophy  may  say,  what 
does  reason  approve?  Just  try  the  theory  a  bit, 
and  see  where  it  leads.  It  makes  little  difference 
what  a  chemist  believes,  or  what  formula  he  fol- 
lows, if  only  his  retorts  and  bottles  are  clean 
and  his  chemicals  pure!  It  makes  little  differ- 
ence about  diagnosis,  if  only  the  doctor's  medi- 
cines are  good — he  may  give  whatever  he  hap- 
pens to  pick  up!  It  makes  little  difference  what 
theory  an  architect  has  about  houses,  or  what 
his  designs  are,  if  only  he  uses  good  instruments 
and  makes  straight  lines !  It  makes  little  differ- 
ence what  a  farmer  believes  about  soils  and  seeds 
— let  him  plant  haphazard,  if  only  his  ground 
is  well  plowed!  It  makes  little  difference  what 
an  engineer  believes  about  the  track,  or  the  sig- 
nals, or  the  way  he  pulls  the  lever,  if  only  he 
has  good  coal  and  keeps  sober — he  will  pull  into 
Union  Station  on  time !    It  makes  little  difference 


TiiEOSOPHY  Christian  Tolerance     109 

what  a  traveler  on  life's  journey  believes  about 
the  course  or  the  compass,  or  the  destination — 
let  him  shut  his  eyes  and  go  pellmell  as  feeling 
may  suggest — he  can  not  escape  reaching  Heav- 
en all  right ! 

Tolerance?  Christianity  is  tolerant  above 
every  other  religion  towards  the  ignorant,  the 
weak,  the  sinful.  It  does  not,  like  Theosophy, 
pull  skirts  of  self-righteous  exclusiveness  about 
itself,  and  refuse  to  go  out  into  the  slums  to 
rescue  the  lost,  but  rather  sit  dreaming  in  the 
parlor  waiting  for  people  to  prepare  themselves 
by  hard  courses  of  yoga  to  receive  the  mysterious 
teachers  that  work  in  the  theosophic  school.  But 
in  matters  of  dcctrine,  of  standards,  of  guides  to 
conduct,  it  is  different,  and  should  be  different. 
Truth  can  not,  in  its  very  nature,  be  diverse. 
Nor  can  it  consent  to,  or  tolerate,  falsehood. 
Therefore,  Christianity,  acknowledging  Jesus 
Christ  to  be  *'the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life," 
— the  concrete  and  complete  manifestatic-n  of  the 
everlasting  and  unchangeable  Father — can  not 
possibly  be  tolerant  for  an  instant  of  teachings 
or  teachers  that  contradict,  repudiate  and  sup- 
plant the  fuly  accredited  Son  of  God.  Much  of 
the  so-called  tolerance  of  the  hour  is  treason, 
not  tolerance  at  all. 

Theosophic  tolerance  goes  to  the  ridiculous  and 
senseless  extreme  of  saying :  "The  vices  of  men 
become  steps  in  the  ladder  [of  upward  progress], 


110    Stoical  Indifference  Modern 

one  by  one,  as  they  are  mounted.'^  Men  climb 
to  perfection  on  their  vices !  Vice  is  a  good 
thing  to  elevate  men — to  boost  them  towards 
godhood!  It  is  all  in  the  evolutionary  prccess  ? 
Tolerance  intoxicated,  even  gone  mad!  There 
seems  to  be  a  break  somewhere  between  the  in- 
exorable hate  of  Karma  for  all  sin  and  this 
complete  exhonoration  of  vice !  Karma  never 
condones,  yet  tolerance  commends  \  Besant  ad- 
vocates the  tolerance  of  evil  as  a  necessary,  and 
perhaps  even  an  honorable,  part  in  the  process 
of  self-culture  [ 

EFFECT    OF    DOCTRINE    OF    KARMA 

Besides  turning  people  away  from  the  only  way 
of  salvation  by  accepting  forgiveness  and  de- 
liverance, in  the  notion  of  a  fixed  fate  of  relent- 
less consequences,  the  effect  cf  the  doctrine  of 
Karma  is  to  harden  the  heart  in  a  stoical  indiffer- 
ence to  trouble,  in  an  attitude  of  independent 
self-assertion,  or  self-sufificiency.  It  also  pre- 
vents sympathetic  fellowship  in  the  trials  of  oth- 
ers, which  is  a  marked  feature  of  Christianity. 
On  the  theory  that  man  pays  his  own  debts  for 
wrongdoing,  Theosophy  says : 

Affliction  is  in  the  nature  of  the  payment  of  a  debt,, 
and,  therefore,  when  one  has  to  meet  the  troubles 
of  life,  he  is  really  glad  of  the  opportunity  which 
they  give  him  to  pay  off  something  of  his  obliga- 
tions, even  though  they  may  cause  him  much  sor- 
row in  the  pajang. 


THEOSOniY  Christian   Comfort     HI 

What  a  sorry  substitute  for  the  consolation  in 
"Many  are  the  afflictions  of  the  righteous,  but 
the  Lord  deUvers  him  out  of  them  all."  *'Thou 
hast  returned  for  me  my  mourning  into  dancing ; 
thou  hast  put  off  my  sackcloth,  and  girded  me 
with  gladness."  "Thou  hast  been  a  strength  to 
the  poor,  a  strength  to  the  needy  in  his  distress, 
a  refuge  from  the  storm,  a  shadow  from  the 
heat."  "Blessed  are  they  that  mourn ;  for  they 
shall  be  comforted."  "Blessed  be  God,  even 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father 
of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort;  who 
comforteih  us  in  all  our  tribulations,  that  we 
may  be  able  to  comfort  them  that  are  in  any 
trouble."  "Wherefore  comfort  one  another." 
"Comfort  the  feeble-minded." 

Christianity  teaches  that  afflictions  are  not  all 
in  punishment  for  sins :  they  may  be  due  to  the 
opposition  of  the  enemy  of  our  souls — who  per- 
secutes with  affliction,  then  accuses  the  victim. 
Job's  very  righteousness  was  the  occasion  of  his 
afflictions.  Only  by  delusion  can  anyone  forsake 
the  v/ay  of  comfort  in  affliction  from  a  personal 
Friend  in  Heaven  for  the  cold,  heartless  fatalism 
of  theosophic  Karma. 

The  hardening  of  the  heart  towards  the  need 
of  others,  by  a  belief  in  Karma,  is  in. direct  line 
with  the  Scripture  that  says  of  the  last  days  that 
men   will   be    "without   natural   affection,"    and 


112    Magic  Benevolence  Modern 

their  consciences  will  be  "seared  as  with  a  hot 
iron."  The  theosophic  notion  of  helping  the 
needy  and  distressed  is  an  unnatural  and  delu- 
sive one — a  curiosity.  It  consists  in  sitting  down 
and  sending  out  "thought  waves"  of  uplift — and, 
quite  incidentally,  of  course,  escaping  the  trouble 
and  expense  of  personal  ministration  to  actual 
needs ;  for  "the  work  of  Theosophy  is  on  a  high- 
er plane  than  the  physical"  [Actual  quotation], 
"Depart  in  peace,  be  warmed  and  filled"  is  the 
magic  formula  for  theosophic  charity.  Again^ 
hardness  of  heart  has  been  complained  of  by 
novices  in  the  cult  who  have  not  yet  reached  the 
higher  planes,  in  that  older  members  withhold 
sympathy  and  help  on  the  ground  that  sufferers 
should  be  left  to  the  satisfaction  of  paying  their 
debt  of  Karma.     Why  not? 

Magic  Helpfulness 

The  hardness  cf  heart  in  unsympathetic  natural 
feehng  finds  some  rehef  to  conscience  in  a  super- 
stitious magical  form  of  benevolence.  Instead 
of  personal  ministration  to  the  needs  of  the  un- 
fortunate, the  practice  of  sending  out  "thought 
waves"  of  influence  assumes  grc*tesque  expres- 
sion. For  example,  a  theosophical  journal  told 
of  a  typical  case  where  a  bank  clerk  was  troubled 
because  he  seemed  unable  to  do  anything  to 
serve  the  "Masters"  [mahatmas].     But  he  pres- 


Theosophy  Selfish  Self -Evolution     113 

ently  made  a  great  discovery !  When  new  money 
came  in  from  the  mint,  before  it  became  con- 
taminated by  profane  touch,  he  put  his  hands 
on  it,  charging  it  with  the  virtue  of  his  magnetic 
personahty,  and— Presto ! — when  it  went  out,  it 
carried  the  beneficent  force  he  had  imparted  to 
the  blessing  and  uphft  of  whoever  might 
handle  !  From  his  secluded  desk,  the  young  man 
thus  made  hiniself  a  power  in  the  world!!  No 
need  nov/  of  schools  or  churches  or  helping-hand 
societies !  No  need  of  going  out  into  the  byways 
and  hedges  to  seek  and  to  help  the  poor  or  suf- 
fering or  sinning!  No  need  of  the  Gospel  mes- 
sage nor  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  nor  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  nor  of  ministers !  Just  charge  with 
personal  magnetism  whatever  commodities  we 
handle,  and  the  world  is  saved!!  This  is  the 
theosophic  way,  and  the  principle  of  it  is  follow- 
ed in  the  psychic  methods  of  other  cults  and  even 
sects  of  professed  Christendom. 

"Without  Natural  Affection  " 

Without  natural  affection — Theosophy  fosters 
this  condition  to  the  ruin  of  homes  and  the  break- 
ing up  of  families.  The  utter  selfishness  of  the 
system  of  self-evolution,  with  its  exercises  for 
the  intensification  of  self-consciousness,  becomes 
manifest  in  indifference,  even  repugnance,  to 
domestic  and  neighborhood  relations  and  duties. 


114     Theosophic  Home-Breaking  Modern 

Christianity,  for  instance,  makes  women  love 
and  care  for  their  homes  and  families.  But 
Theosophy  makes  them  discontented,  indifferent, 
and  even  hostile.  Yoga  practices  and  the  fascina- 
tion of  the  ''silence"  consume  attention  and  time, 
and  the  cultivation  of  mahatmic,  or  demon,  fel- 
lowship displaces  husband  and  children.  This 
is  no  fancy  sketch,, but  is  from  real  life,  in  my 
own  experience  and  that  of  many  other  men. 
The  wife  of  a  college  president  is  quoted  as 
saying : 

My  husband  and  children  are  no  more  to  me  than 
any  others  equally  deserving  regard.  My  relig- 
ion [Theosophy]  teaches  me  that  they  have  no 
claim  on  me,  and  I  am  free  to  seek  the  perfect 
life   alone. 

**Free-love"  is  the  logical,  and  the  actual,  end  of 
such  an  attitude  of  mind.  Many  a  home  knows 
this  from  experience  since  modern  Theosophy 
and  kindred  cults  have  become  so  popular.  "We 
know  nothing  of  personal  relationships"  is  a 
theosophic  slogan. 


Everyone  who  deviates  [literally,  "  goes 
beside"],  and  does  not  abide  in  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  has  not  God.  He  who 
abides  in  the  doctrine  has  both  the  Father 
and  the  Son.  — 2  John  9. 


TiiEOSOPHY  Bondage  in  Superstition     115 


"THE   LIFE    THEOSOPHIC" 

This  is  the  title  of  a  large  section  of  a  theo- 
sophic  text-book — a  wordy  treatise  on  the  details 
of  living  in^accord  with  the  doctrines  of  the  cult. 
The  contrast  between  the  bondage  of  supersti- 
tion in  all  this  and  the  liberty  of  detail  in  the 
Christian  life  is  so  marked  that  it  is  amazing 
how  anybody  can  accept,  much  less  prefer,  the 
theosophic  way.  Only  delusion  can  account  for  it. 
The  Christian  advice  is  "Seek  first  the  King- 
dom of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these 
[material]  things  will  be  added  unto  you."  In 
finding  the  things  of  the  spirit,  in  the  true  sense, 
one  finds,  incidentally,  without  special  seeking, 
the  lesser  things.  But  Theosophy  begins  with 
the  material  things,  continues  with  the  material, 
and  ends  with  the  material — even  its  so-called 
spirituality  being  but  a  sort  of  attenuated  mater- 
ialism, an  etherial,  "astral"  spookism.  The  in- 
structions begin  with:  "Man's  body  is  fine  or 
coarse,  according  to  the  materials  drawn  from 
the  physical  plane  for  its  composition."  This 
notion  follows  the  spiritistic  one  of  the  material- 
ization of  spirits.  The  question  comes,  What  of 
tlie  quality  of  soul  that  determines  the  choice  of 


116     Spiritual  and  Material  Modern 

material?  If  non-embodied  spirits  have  choice, 
why  do  any  choose  coarse  materials?  Affinity 
for  such?  Then  the  spirit,  apart  from  matter, 
may  be  coarse !  Which  Theosophy  denies  ;  for  it 
teaches  that  all  souls  are  pure.  What  essential 
difference  would  a  chemist  discover  between  the 
body  of  a  prize-fighter,  or  a  butcher,  and  that 
of  a  teacher  of  Theosophy?  Madam  Blavatsky, 
founder  of  the  cult,  is  lauded  above  the  skies  as 
the  greatest  person  who  ever  lived,  yet  she  is 
described  as  an  uncommonly  coarse  woman 
physically — and  verbally.  Either  this  first  pro- 
position in  the  Hfe  theosophic  is  meaningless,  or 
the  admiraticii  for  Blavatsky  is  misdirected. 
But  what  is  logic  among  "wisdom"-religionists  ? 
Christianity  speaks  quite  differently  in  this 
matter.  Its  significant  qualities  are  of  the  heart, 
not  of  the  body,  or  even  of  the  intellect.  Jesus 
did  not  select  for  his  close  friends  and  apostles 
delicate  and  fine-skinned  men :  he  picked  out 
hardy  workmen,  for  most  part — even  coarse- 
grained fishermen.  Most  of  the  early  Christians 
were  from  the  working  class.  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  not  dependent  upon,  or  concerned  in, 
material  things,  but  with  the  spiritual.  It  uses 
no  microscope,  scalpel  or  scales.  The  methods 
of  modern  psychology  are  not  in  its  adminis- 
tration. Fine  or  coarse ;  light  or  heavy ;  vvhite 
or  black  ;    fresh  or  worn  ;    vcung-  or  old — these 


Theosophy         The  Weak  and  the  Strong     117 

are  of  the  things  that  perish,  and  are  not  in  the 
reckoning  of  Heaven,  which  has  to  do  with  the 
eternal  spirit.  ''What  God  has  cleansed  call  not 
thou  common  or  unclean"  forever  repudiates  fas- 
tidiousness of  distinction  in  the  apphcation  of 
spiritual  blessings  or  the  rating  of  men  in  spirit- 
ual judgments. 

Even  further,  God  has  diosen  the  weak  and 
despised  in  man's  estimation  to  confound  the 
pretentiously  wise,  and  that  no  flesh  may  glory 
in  his  presence.  Blue-blood  is  not  excluded; 
neither  has  it  advantage.  Robust  fisherman 
Peter  and  delicate  invalid  Timothy  both  had  im.- 
portant  places  of  service  for  the  Master.  The 
body  of  a  stone-mason  may  be  coarser  than  that 
of  the  artist,  but  the  probabilities  are  in  favor  of 
the  morality  of  the  man  in  overalls — and  his  in- 
tegrity and  piety. 

Details  of  theosophic  instruction  regarding 
food,  clothing,  jewelry,  dwellings,  pictures,  and 
every  item  of  physical  circumstance,  are  ludi- 
crous in  their  superstition — based  on  the  occult- 
ism and  vibratory  theory  of  the  cult.  But  _we 
may  not  use  time  or  space  on  them  here. 


For  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  not  food  and 
drink,  but  righteousness,  peace  and  joy- 
in  the  Holy  Spirit.  —Romans  14:17. 


118     Meekness  and  Pride  Modern 


DEIFICATION   OF  MAN 

This  was  the  promise  of  Satan  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden — "Ye  shall  be  as  gods."  Self-supremacy 
has  been  very  much  the  attitude  of  man  ever 
since  then.  Jesus'  self-abasement  and  full  obedi- 
ence were  a  new  cc-ntrast  in  the  world.  He  did 
not  aspire  to  independence,  nor  insist  on  doing 
his  own  thinking.  Nor  did  he  set  up  his  own 
ideals  to  work  to,  or  to  be  his  God.  He  even 
did  not  grasp  after  the  real  glory  He  had  with 
the  Father,  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation. 
He  did  not  teach  any  self-devised  system  of  doc- 
trine. What  the  Father  gave  him  to  teach,  that 
he  gladly  and  constantly  proclaimed.  What  the 
Father  did,  that  he  also  did.  "I  delight  to  do  thy 
will,  O  God"  was  his  aspiration  and  purpose. 
"Not  my  will,  but  thine,"  was  his  prayer.  He 
called  himself  "Son  of  man,"  leaving  men  to  dis- 
cover his  identity  of  deity  from  his  words  and 
deeds.  How  in  contrast  is  the  growing  attitude 
of  m.en  in  the  direction  of  self-laudation  and  self- 
sufficiency  ! 

Theosophy  goes  the  limit,  saying : 

iMan  is  the  center  around  which  everything  moves, 
and  Self-reverence,  the  sense  of  obligation  to  the 
god-like  that  is  in  all  of  us— this  we  ought  to  cul- 


Theosophy  Worship  of  Humanity     119 

tivate.  For  with  it  grows  both  our  moral  strength, 
and  our  moral  horizon,  our  power  to  live  nobly, 
and  our  conceptions  of  noble  living. 

Everything  centers  in  OUR.  In  OURSELVES 
is  the  motive  and  end  of  conduct.  There  is  no 
God  but  US.  Result?  The  "Religion  of  Human- 
ity." Yes ;  the  worship  of  Humanity.  A  step 
more,  and  Antichrist  is  in  control  of  a  deluded 
world  that  falls  down  and  worships  the  idol 
of  its  own  making — the  Representative  Man 
whom  humanity  elects  as  the  supreme  deity  of 
world  democracy. 


Doing  nothing  in  party  spirit  or  vainglory 
but  in  humility,  esteeming  others  superior 
to  yourselves  [lit.  from  Greek]. — Phil.  2:3. 

Is  anyone  wise  and  clever  among  you? 
Let  him  show  from  honorable  conduct  his 
works  in  meekness  of  wisdom. — Jas.  3:13. 


120     Equality  Exaggerated  Modern 


EQUALITY 

Some  of  the  current  and  popular  exaggerated 
noticns  of  equality  are  reflections  of  spiritistic 
teaching,  though  not  commonly  so  recognized. 
Besant  says  of  one  who  is  in  the  path  theoso- 
phic : 

He  looks  upon  all  with  an  equal  eye,  and  must  rid 
himself  of   all  sense   of  personahty. 

He  must  violate  his  own  observation  and  rea- 
son !  Personality  involves  differences,  therefore 
deny  personality !  Scripture  says  that,  as  stars 
differ  in  magnitude,  so  do  men — yet  each  has 
his  proper  place,  and  none  is  despised.  The- 
osophy  will  have  none  of  this,  but  insists  that 
all  are  equal  "sparks"  from  an  impersonal  IT, 
dift'ering  only  in  age,  therefore  in  degree  of  evo- 
lution now  but  eventually  to  reach  a  common 
goal.  The  essential  equality  is  to  be  expressed  in 
human  relations.  This  gives  an  exaggerated  no- 
tion of  a  ''brotherhood"  relation  that  justifies  the 
boorish  rowdy  in  his  disrespect  fulness  towards 
the  cultured  and  gentle.  It  takes  away  the  atti- 
tude of  reverence  towards  those  in  authority, 
which  the  Bible  says  is  a  sign  of  the  last  times. 


Theosophy        Trend  of  Equality  Notions     121 

It  fosters  a  feeling  of  discontent,  and  encourages 
■effort  to  break  the  normal  restraints  of  life  and 
to  adopt  anarchical  socialism. 

Trades-unionism  and  iemale  suffrage  are  con- 
spicuous expressions  of  this  theory  of  equality. 
The  poorest  and  most  listless  workman  demands 
the  same  treatment  and  compensation  as  the  best 
and  busiest  in  his  trade,  and  the  output  of  the 
shop  is  restricted  to  the  gauge  of  the  incom- 
petent, in  disregard  both  of  justice  and  decent 
nobility.  The  current  exaggerated  doctrine  of 
equality  between  the  sexes  contradicts  the  word 
of  God,  which  states  the  essential  nature  of 
things  as  expressing  the  mind  of  the  Creator. 
Christianity  delivers  woman  from  the  enslave- 
ment of  pagan  perversions,  but  does  not  annul 
the  essential  relation  of  subordination  which  in- 
hered in  creation  and  existed  in  Eden  before  the 
fall,  as  declared  by  the  apostle  Paul.  It  is  sig- 
nificant that  one  of  the  first  (if  not  the  first) 
to  advocate  the  modern  equality  notion  was  Ann 
Lee,  the  spirit-medium,  seeress  and  leader  of 
Shakerism.  It  is  notable  that  modern  spiritists 
emphasize  the  doctrine ;  also,  that  women  who 
go  into  the  movement  for  female  equality  gravi- 
tate into  some  form  of  spiritistic  religion.  The 
present  tendency  is  not  only  to  remove  the  sub- 
ordination of  woman,  but  to  go  further,  exalting 
womanhood  above  irianhood.  Women  propose 
to  "boss,"  or  die  in  the  attempt — "Give  me  su- 


122     Martyrs  to  Ambition  Modern 

premacy,  or  give  me  death"  (Henry  please  par- 
don!). Martyrs  to  ambition!  But,  ambition  is 
of  the  Devil,  who  fell  from  heaven  because  of 
it.  The  normal  modesty  of  woman  is  thrown 
to  the  winds,  when  she  demands  the  place  of 
man,  and  the  very  streets  now-a-days  overflow 
with  the  presence  of  female  shamelessness. 


To  one  he  gave  five  talents,  to  another  two,  and 
to  another  one;  to  each  according  to  his  own 
ability  [Denies  equality  notion].     —Matt.  25:15. 

For,  just  as  in  one  body  we  have  many  members, 
but  all  members  have  not  the  same  function ;  so 
.  .  .  having  different  gifts,  .  .       —Rom.  12-4-6. 

The  twelfth  chapter  of  First  Corinthians  teaches 
this  same,  and  is  wholesome  doctrine  for  today. 

In  1  Cor.  15:39-42,  the  differences  among  natural 
objects  are  used  to  illustrate  the  inequalities  that 
will  continue  in  the  resurrection  state — "as  one 
star  differs  from  another  star  in  glory." 


Theosophy  The  ''Female  Principle^'     123 


DEIFICATION    OF   WOMAN 

Loyal  to  the  doctrine  of  equality,  Theosophy 
proposes  to  deify  woman,  also,  and  goes  a  bit 
farther,  giving  her  the  supreme  place  in  the  god- 
head. In  some  forms  of  ancient  nature-worship, 
the  female  principle,  so-called,  was  given  su- 
preme place.  Theosophy  makes  its  claim  to  being 
the  consummation  of  philosophy  and  religion — 
the  last  word  in  both — partly  on  the  ground  of 
its  exploitation  of  the  "female  principle"  as 
Alotherhood.  Some  say  that  woman  is  the  right- 
ful head  of  all  in  this  world,  as  the  female  prin- 
ciple is  supreme  in  deity.  The  fall  of  man,  they 
aver,  was  the  subjection  of  the  feminine  to  the 
masculine  in  the  individual,  and  the  outward  ex- 
pression of  this  in  the  subjection  of  woman  to 
man  in  world  affairs.  Fine  sop  to  catch  women 
victims !  A  reward  the  Devil  gives  to  v/oman  for 
being  the  one  who,  in  Eden,  yielded  to  his  voice ! 
In  this  scheme,  redemption  means  the  complete 
restoration  and  exaltation  of  the  feminine  "in 
all  planes."  The  result  is  the  worship  of  the 
feminine,  and  feminism.  "Great  is  Diana  of  the 
Ephesians"  is  fast  becoming  the  cry  of  the  day, 
to  the  demoralization  of  individuals,  homes  and 
society,  just  as  in  olden  times. 


124     ''Tathcr-Mothcr  God"  :\Iodern 

Now,  how  could  the  supreme  element  in  the 
godhead  ever  become  subjected  to  an  inferior 
power?  And,  if  unable  to  maintain  supremacy 
when  already  holding  it,  how  recover  it  from  a 
fallen  state,  and  then  keep  it?  Theosophy  does 
not  trouble  its  over-wise  head  with  logic  and 
reason — it  soars  in  fancy ! 

Some  theosophists  call  the  Holy  Spirit  the 
female  principle  in  deity — a  very  old  heresy. 
Tingley  said  in  an  address :  "O  ye  men  and 
w^omen,  sons  of  the  same  Universal  Mother  as 
ourselves."  Eddyism  says :  "'Our  Father  and 
Mother  who  are  in  heaven."  Such  cults  speak 
of  the  "Father-Mother  God,"  but  fail  to  tell  how 
an  im.personal  IT  can  have  sex  of  either  kind, 
zi'hich  is  a  limitation  in  personality,  therefore 
repugnant  to  the  doctrine  of  an  im.personal  deity. 
Slipped  a  cog  there,  did  the  mahatmas !  This 
mc'ther-god  notion  finds  some  expression  in  the 
writings  of  professedly  orthodox  Christians, 
showing  how  subtly  contagious  are  false  doc- 
trines. I  have  heard  even  a  shouting  "holiness" 
man  use  the  expression  "Father-Mother  God" 
in  a  prayer-meeting.  The  source  of  his  "pente- 
costal  holiness"  is  apparent — the  deceiver  who 
appears  as  an  angel  of  light.  Much  of  so-called 
pentecostalism  is  but  disguised  spiritism. 

The  feminine  does  not  exist  on  all  planes,  but 
only  on  the  physical.     There  is  no  such  thing  as 


Theosophy    Sex  Relationship  Temporary     125 

a  "female  principle."  Femininity  is  neither  an 
abstraction  nor  an  entity.  The  "eternal  femi- 
nine" is  a  myth.  It  is  only  a  temporary  variation 
in  physical  structure  to  accommodate  a  temporary 
function.  Adam  was  a  complete  being  alone. 
Companionship  did  not  call  for  structural  or 
functional  variation.  That  was  a  provision  for 
peopling  the  earth,  having  no  reference  to  the 
eternal  things.  Even  now,  love  that  is  merely 
psychic,  based  on  sex,  is  not  the  love  that  Chris- 
tianity requires  and  fosters,  even  in  the  marriage 
relation.  Fiction-writers  have  poisoned  the 
minds  of  people  so  long  with  their  psychic  love- 
stories,  that  the  true  love  is  hardly  recognized 
or  knovv^n  to  exist.  Jesus  said  that,  in  the  other 
world,  there  is  neither  male  nor  female,  and  in 
the  resurrection-life  there  will  be  no  sex  relation- 
ships. "In  Christ  Jesus,  there  is  neither  m.ale 
nor  female,"  the  apostle  states. 

As  in  pagan  nature-worship  the  exaltation  of 
the  "female  principle"  resulted  in  a  monstrous 
sexual  perversion  and  debauchery  of  the  people, 
so  today,  in  the  very  midst  of  Christendom,  and 
in  this  boasted  Twentieth  Century  of  enlighten- 
ment, the  spiritistic  doctrine  of  female  supremacy  ^ 
[which  has  largely  leavened  all  society]  results  _  -g, 
in  a  condition  wherein  sexual  a|^normality  is  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  features.  Reform.ers 
are  puzzled,  and  every  effort  to  remedy  seems  in 
vain.     Without  removinsr  the  cause,  superficial 


126    Spiritual  Adultery  MoDEiiK 

corrections  are  useless.  The  cause?  The  apos- 
tacy  of  Christendom  in  the  revival  of  spiritistic 
paganism,  of  which  the  worship  of  fictions  is  a 
prominent  item.  Adulteration  of  foods  is,  to 
some  extent,  repressed,  but  adulteration  cf  belief 
and  worship  is  regarded  as  a  smart  expression 
of  enlightened  freedom !  Spiritual  fornication 
and  adultery  are  the  mixture  of  truth  and  false- 
hood, and  the  resulting  perverted  worship  and 
conduct.  Whenever  in  olden  times,  Israel  lapsed 
into  idolatry,  especially  the  worship  of  Baal  and 
Ashtaroth  [which  were  forms  of  sex-worship] 
sexual  debauchery  followed.  It  is  the  same  now, 
when  Christendom  is  rimning  after  the  same  idol- 
atries in  m^ore  subtle  and  intellectual  forms,  but 
the  same  in  principle.  Blind  as  to  the  causes,  the 
results  seem  more  mystericus  and  baffling. 


The  children  gather  wood,  the  fathers  kindle  the 
fire,  and  the  women  kneed  the  dough  [family  re- 
ligion !  ],  to  make  cakes  to  the  queen  of  heaven 
[worship  of  the  moon  as  symbol  of  the  "  female 
principle  "],  and  to  pour  out  offerings  unto  other 
gods,  that  they  may  provoke  me  to  anger.  Dc> 
they  provoke  me  to  anger?  Do  they  not  provoke 
themselves  to  the  confusion  of  their  own  faces  ? 
[Here  follows  a  statement  of  calamities  to  result.] 

—Jer.  7:18,19, 
Defiled  as  is  now  popular  literature,  the  situation 
is  not  yet  bad  enough  to  permit  here  a  translation 
of  ancient  heathen  writings  describing  this  relig- 
ion. Woe  to  this  generation,  if  the  fast-reviving 
pagan  nature-worship  is  not  soon  checked. 


Theosophy  ''Soul-Marriage''  Fancy     127 


AFFINITY    AND    MARRIAGE 

An  ancient  thcosophic  theory  was  that  the  soul, 
in  its  pre-existent  state,  is  dual — both  male  and 
female.  At  the  time  of  physical  birth  a  separa- 
tion is  made,  the  male  principle  of  the  scoil  in- 
carnating as  a  male  child,  and  the  female  prin- 
ciple as  a  female  child.  The  two  are  eternally 
equal  and  complemental.  They  should  preserve 
equality  in  their  temporarily  separated  states. 
This  is  a  basis  for  the  spiritistic  doctrine  of  equal- 
ity between  the  sexes,  against  the  Scripture  to 
the  contrary.  It  remained  for  moderns  to  apply 
it  to  all  relations.  The  special  application  of  it 
formerly,  and  now  being  revived,  was  in  the 
matter  of  "affinity." 

The  male  and  female  principles  that  were  as- 
sociated in  one  impersonal,  complete,  composite 
or  dual  being  in  the  spirit  world  are  restless  while 
separated  in  the  material  world,  and  tend  to  draw 
tov/ards  one  another.  By  this  theory,  every  true 
marriage  is  the  union  of  these  original  comple- 
mental sex  principles.  Hence,  no  true  marriage 
can  be,  except  in  fulfillment  of  affinity — a  "soul- 
marriage."  Conventional  marriage  must  step 
aside,  counting  for  nothing,  when  affinities  chance 


128     Spiritism  and  Se.v  Mat  fas  JxIodern- 

to  meet  each  other  in  this  world.  They  should 
leave  their  lawful  companions  and  cleave  to  one 
another.  But  no  explanation  is  offered  as  to 
how  such  affinities  come  to  tire  of  one  another, 
and  discover  that  somebody  else  is  the  affinity 
of  each,  ad  libitum  I  If  mistaken  once,  perhaps 
twice — probably  every  time.  Only  a  way  spirits 
have  for  disguising  adultery  with  a  cloak  of 
superior  spiritual  understanding!  The  influence 
of  theosophic  notions  in  this  item  is  apparent  in 
the  social  conditions  of  our  day,  with  loose  fam- 
ily ties  and  easy  divorces. 

Spiritistic  teachings  always^  in  some  way,  per- 
vert the  marriage  relation,  and  even  the  sex  func- 
tion, sometimes  openly,  often  covertly.  The  lit- 
erature of  modern  Theosophy  is  discreet  in 
this  matter.  Its  appeal  is  largely  to  people  whose 
education  would  make  them  recognize  any  pre- 
mature advances  in  this  line,  so  caution  is  prac- 
ticed. The  false  teachings  are  cunningly  direct- 
ed, and  timed  for  the  ''psychological  moment.'^ 
They  appear  as  alleged  higher  spiritual  interpre- 
tations of  sexuality  and  marriage.  Through 
most  subtle  indirectness  even  cultured  people  can 
be  gradually  led  into  a  deception  v/hose  end  is 
the  grossest  immorahty.  From  the  primer  for 
beginners  to  some  of  the  books  for  advanced 
pupils  is  a  long  step. 

The  perfect  chastity  of  Christian  teaching  is  wholly  unique. 


Theosopiiy  Significant  Restlessness     129 

In  a  book  not  intended  for  introductory  pro- 
motion work,  but  which  is  credited  to  Blavatsky, 
is  the  foUowiiig: 

Matrimony  is  a  sphere  of  life  which,  while  necessa- 
ry to  some,  for  reasons  of  procreative  reproduction, 
and  the  maintenance  of  the  generative  line  until 
its  result  has  been  accomplished  under  the  guard- 
ianship of  false  religious  teachings  [a  slap  at 
Christianity],  becomes  a  monstrous  repetitive  exist- 
ence Vvherein  its  adherents  are  gently  held  by  the 
soporific  anesthesia  of  public  opinion,  that  deadly 
effluvia  of  the  majority  by  which  mortals  are  slow- 
ly but  surely  led  to  ruin  and  dismay,  where  their 
individual  advancement  is  held  in  check,  genius 
abrogated  and  destroyed,  and  development  arrested, 
except  upon  those  lines  which  are  in  accord  with 
this  terrible  monster. 

Deep?  Deep  as  hell;  for  it  is  the  doctrine  of 
demons.  They  like  change.  The  novelty  of  ex- 
perimentation incidentally  contributes  to  the  ruin- 
ing of  more  souls,  who  are  led  astray  in  the  pro- 
cess. People  who  come  under  the  influence  and 
power  of  these  monsters  are  also  restless  of  the 
restraints  of  law  and  order.  The  world-rest- 
lessness of  the  times,  the  rapid  flow  of  events, 
the  close  approach  of  world-anarchy,  openly  con- 
fess the  world's  subjection  to  the  deceiving  "god 
of  this  world,"  whose  approaching  end  makes 
him  ragingly  active. 

In  the  screed  just  quoted,  individualism  is  em- 
phasized to  the  hmit,  and  in  a  perverted  way. 


L30    Free-Love  Trend  Modern 

Other  folks — the  common  herd — not  having  at- 
tained unto  the  ''ancient  wisdom,"  think  of 
marriage  as  a  help  to  an  unselfish  life,  and  a 
help  to  the  best  instincts  of  man,  by  calling  forth 
his  symapthies  and  affections.  According  to  this 
quotation,  marriage  is  a  "terrible  monster."  Is 
this  why  advanced  theosophists  run  into  free-love 
— to  escape  the  terrible  monster?  Any  advance 
in  spiritism  is  a  step  down  towards  the  pit.  So 
the  miOre  one  goes  into  Theosophy,  the  nearer  he 
gets  to  the  Devil  and  his  diabolical  ways.  I  have 
documentary  proofs  of  what  I  have  been  saying, 
which  any  Thomas  may  read,  who  needs  to  be 
shown  before  he  will  believe. 


The  Creator,  at  the  first,  made  them  a  male  and  a 
female,  and  said :  On  account  of  this  a  man  shall 
leave  his  father  and  mother,  and  shall  be  closely 
united  to  his  wife,  and  they  two  shall  become 
one  flesh.  —Matt.  19-4,5. 

Jesus  here  endorsed  the  Genesis  account.  Note 
the  simplicity  and  dignity  of  this,  against  the  sub- 
tlety and  seductiveness  of  pagan  fancy.  The  two 
were  created  separate  and  distinct  persons,  and 
the  later  union  is  of  the  flesh  only,  therefore  re- 
stricted to  this  world.  The  affinity  notion  is  a 
delusion  and  a  snare.  It  is  a  perversion  of  the 
simple  fact  that  Eve  was  made  from  Adam's  rib. 


Theosophy  Light  and  Shadozv     131 


DIABOLISM  OF  MODERN  THEOSOPHY 

We  have  come  to  the  point  of  considering  the 
real  ultimate  work  of  Modern  Theosophy.  What 
has  preceded  gives  ample  evidence  of  its  evil 
nature,  but  we  are  now  to  discuss  briefly  the 
very  culmination  of  iniquity.  In  it  we  shall 
find  things  almost  incredible,  but  which  will  be 
shown  to  be  actual  in  the  very  words  of  theoso- 
phy, explained  by  the  Word  of  God,  and  veri- 
fied in  the  experience  of  other  Christians  than 
myself. 

"As  it  was  in  the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  it  be 
in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man,"  said  Jesus.  His 
direct  application  was  to  the  materialism  then 
rampant,  and  to  be  prevalent  when  he  comes 
again.  As  that  ancient  materialism  had  a  spirit- 
istic (not  spiritual)  backing,  so  will  the  later 
manifestation  be  closely  linked  with  a  world- 
revival  of  the  same  spiritistic  conditions,  only 
intensified  by  the  brighter  light  whose  glare 
throws  deeper  shadows.  The  ante-diluvian 
world  had  become  demonized.  The  pre-millenial 
world  is  to  be  likewise  demonized  to  the  point 
of  subjection  to  the  Antichrist.  How  such  a 
condition  is  to  be  brought  about  is  a  great  mys- 


132     Lightning  Flashes  Modern 

tery  to  men.  An  analysis  of  modern  Theoscphy 
and  other  spiritistic  cults  suggests,  at  least,  the 
solution. 

When  the  Seventy  returned  from  their  mis- 
sionary tour,  and  reported  their  success  in  cast- 
ing out  demons,  our  Lord  did  not  correct  them 
by  saying  they  were  dealing  c«nly  with  frauds  and 
subconscious  minds,  but  he  said:  "I  saw  Satan 
falling  from  heaven  like  lightning."  Other  Scrip- 
tures also  state  that  Satan  and  his  messengers 
are  very  active  in  the  earth.  Sudden  as  light- 
ning ;  brilliant,  powerful,  but  fallen,  are  the  mani- 
festations of  those  beings  today,  but  disgviised 
beyond  recognition,  save  by  the  spiritual.  They 
flash  thoughts  into  people's  minds  that  seem  bril- 
liant and  startlingly  wonderful — thcughts  that 
fascinate  as  though  new  revelations.  Too  often 
are  they  accepted  as  such,  without  checking  them 
vvith  the  eternal  word  of  God.  New  cults  follow, 
proclaiming  old  lies  as  nevv^  discoveries,  finding 
niulLitudes  of  restless  people  who  reject  the  word 
of  God  ready  to  grasp  and  swallow  the  new  doc- 
trines— the  doctrines  of  demons,  of  which  Scrip- 
ture warns ;  for  God  has  no  new  revelations  to 
make,  having  spoken  in  Christ  all  there  is  to  be 
said. 

When  conditions  are  suitable,  demons  can 
enter  the  bodies  of  people,  usually  when  weak- 
ened by  disease  until  the  nervous  system  is  im- 


Theosophy  Incarnation  of  Demons     133 

paired.  It  is  no  more  mysterious  than  is  the  in- 
vasion of  microbes  that  are  invisible.  We  are 
famihar  with  Bible  accounts  of  demon-posses- 
sion, but  most  people  of  today  seem  to  discredit 
it,  and  do  not  believe  that  such  things  happen 
now.  But  they  are  mistaken.  A  rapidly  increas- 
ing number  of  people  are  being  demonized 
through  spiritism  and  occultism,  and  few  know 
what  it  is.  But  the  results  are  becoming  appar- 
ent. The  literature  of  Theosophy  abounds  in 
information  on  this  subject,  but  it  is  called  some- 
thing else,  and  only  by  spiritual  understanding 
is  the  deception  tc  be  recognized.  A  theosophical 
text-book  says : 

When  a  man  studies  and  accepts  the  truths  of  The- 
osophy, he  is  a  Theosonhist.  He  may  become  then 
an  aspirant  for  a  more  intimate  association  with 
a  Master,  then,  successively,  a  probationary  pupil, 
an  accepted  pupil,  or  chela,  and  finally  an  initiate 
of  the  Great  White  Lodge,  when  he  is  said  to 
be  upon  the  Path  to  Holiness.  [Save  the  name!] 
He  begins  his  training  as  an  occultist,  and  at  last 
a  practical  knowledge  of  the  occult  is  communi- 
cated to  him  by  his  Master. 

This  schooling  continues  until,  as  the  book 
says,  ''Union  with  the  consciousness  of  the  Mas- 
ter is  then  complete,  and  the  pupil  becomes  an 
Adept."  This  is  one  of  many  theosophic  state- 
ments proving  the  end  of  the  cult's  endeavors 
to  be  the  incarnation  of  demons  in  human  beings. 
Of  course,  it  is  denied  that  the  masters  are  de- 


134     TJic  Thcosophic  Goal  Modern 

mons,  but  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  cult 
prove  them  to  be  such,  and  such  only.  Some 
know  it  by  actual  contact  with  them. 

This  quotation  unwittingly  removes  the  mask 
of  pretense  about  evolving  the  occult  life,  and 
into  independent  godhood  through  hfe's  experi- 
ences, as  being  the  aim  of  Theosophy.  It  plainly 
supports  what  I  have  said  as  to  the  place  deceiv- 
ing spirits  hold  in  the  cult.  It  admits  that  oc- 
cult powers,  are  gifts  conferred  by  mahatmas.  It 
is  in  mocking  imitation  of  the  miraculous  gifts 
in  the  early  Christian  church.  The  synagogue  of 
Satan  is  being  set  up  in  the  earth,  and,  in  imita- 
tion of  the  real  church,  is  establishing  its  claim 
to  supernatural  resources  by  the  signs  and  won- 
ders which  Scripture  foretells  will  appear  to  catch 
the  apostate  in  the  net  of  the  Antichrist  and  his 
beastly  prophet — the  leader  of  psychic  religion, 
as  against  the  spiritual  religion  of  the  real  Christ. 
It  is  not,  then,  a  matter  of  developing  latent  pow- 
ers in  man  that  Theosophy  seeks,  but  the  sub- 
jection of  man  to  the  invading  powers  of  demons. 

Such  mediumship  is  the  goal  of  all  theosophic 
study  and  development.  The  "supervision"  of 
adepts  is  more  than  that — it  is  control,  becoming 
more  and  more  tyrannical  as  "development"  ad- 
vances, though  the  pupil  (victim)  may  not  realize 
it  for  some  time,  because  so  thoroughly  deceived 
in  complete  surrender.     But  let  one  attempt  to 


Theosophy  Process  of  Demonimiion     135 

really  be  independent,  and  act  contrary  to  the 
*'urge,"  (as  the  constraint  is  termed),  and  he  will 
quickly  discover  himself  to  be  a  prisoner,  a  slave, 
taken  captive  to  the  pleasure  of  Satan,  just  as 
Scripture  states.  He  will  suffer  severely,  if  he 
fails  to  obey  the  directions  and  orders  of  his  cap- 
tor. And  even  evolution  is  lost  sight  of  in  this 
"supervision  of  the  teacher." 

INITIATION REGENERATION 

What  is  the  process  of  theosophic  demonization  ? 
It  is  an  imitation,  yet  a  gross  perversion,  of 
Christian  regeneration.  When  teaching  reincar- 
nation, that  is  called  a  "rebirth,"  or  a  "new  birth." 
But  for  those  who  are  further  along  in  the  path 
there  is  still  another  rebirth,  at  first  mildly  ex- 
pressed, but  leading  to  initiation  as  the  real  the- 
osophic regeneration.  New  births  upon  new 
births  !  Quite  contrary  to  the  simplicity  of  Christ 
wherein  there  is  but  "One  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism.."  In  stating  that,  the  apostle  v/as  deal- 
ing with  just  this  same  pagan  notion  of  salvation 
by  degrees,  involving  repeated  baptisms  in  initi- 
atory rites. 

One  way  of  stating  the  new  birth  doctrine  is : 

Even  one  who  has  become  dead  to  his  spiritual  self 
can  yet  be  "bom  again"  through  genuine  aspira- 
tions, or  by  a  knowledge  of  his  mission  on  earth, 
arrived  at  through  occult  study,  the  first  step  in 
which  is  an  intellectual  grasp  of  the  tenets  of  the 
Wisdom-Religion. 


136     Pagan  Initiations  Modern 

How  can  a  dead  soul  aspire?  How  can  a  dead 
soul  have  a  knowledge  of  its  mission  on  earth? 
Dead  souls  must  be  given  new  life  from  God  in 
order  to  aspire,  and  only  by  the  light  revealed  in 
Jesus  Christ  can  they  know  their  possibilities, 
not  by  occultism.  Throughout  the  theosophic 
system  we  are  confronted  with  occultism  as  the 
essential  feature,  and  here  we  find  it  to  be  the 
real  thing  in  regeneration.  Regeneration?  Yes, 
indeed  ;  a  new  birth  by  demon  power  in  imitation 
and  in  caricature  of  that  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  noted,  early  in  the  book,  that  the  theosoph- 
ic cult  began  with  the  study  of  Egyptain  nature- 
Vv^orship  and  mysticism.  Throughout  the  Bible, 
the  religion  of  Egypt  is  represented  as  among  the 
vilest  of  false  religions,  from  which  God  deliv- 
ered Israel,  and  for  which  Egypt  was  cursed,  as 
in  Isaiah  19.  It  was  a  religion  of  occultism,  with 
the  phenomena  of  spiritism  and  modern  theosc- 
phy.  In  it  was  a  certain  form  of  initiation,  a 
dramatic  performance  representing  the  death  of 
the  devotee,  or  candidate,  and  his  apotheosis  in- 
to identification  with  the  god  Osiris.  The  same 
kind  of  initiation  was  a  feature  of  other  pagan 
religions,  and  is  now  practiced,  in  modified  form, 
in  certain  fraternal  societies  that  revive  some  of 
those  ancient  superstitions.  Anyone  who  is  ac- 
quainted with  the  Christian  doctrine  of  regenera- 
tion and  the  rite  of  baptism,  will  at  once  see  the 


TiiEOSOPHY  Jmmortdity  hy  Magic     137 

cunning  parody  of  them  in  the  pagan  rites.  Ear- 
ly writers  of  the  church  pointed  out  the  fact  that 
several  items  in  pagan  religions  were  in  imita- 
tion of  Christianity,  for  the  purpose  of  confusing 
men's  minds  and  bringing  truth  into  disrepute. 
This  was  the  case  even  with  some  things  that 
antedated  the  estabhshmxnt  of  Christianity  on  a 
distinct  basis  ;  for  the  Devil  understood  prophesy 
and  anticipated  "with  his  imitations.  This  is  a  far 
more  rational  view  than  that  now  advocated  bv 
some,  that  Christianity  is  an  abstract  from,  and 
adaptation  of,  paganism. 

Those  systems  of  religion'  were  reputed  to 
have  been  instituted  by  different  gods,  to  fit  ex- 
isting conditions  or  opportunities — just  as  the- 
osophists  now  say  about  the  mahatmas  originat- 
ing different  religions.  In  addition  to  the  spec- 
tacular dramatic  rites,  those  ancient  initiations 
involved  the  practice  of  magic  formulas  for  the 
acquirement  of  immortality,  apart  from  any 
moral  or  spiritual  attitude  of  mind  and  heart,  as 
called  for  in  the  Christian  way.  Mytholog\'  con- 
stituted the  theology  of  those  religions;  and  a 
varied  round  of  yoga  exercises,  their  acts  of 
piety.  There  is  strong  indication  that  the  myth- 
ological heroes  and  gods  were  originally  the 
demons  that  invaded  the  earth  in  the  antedilu- 
vian period.  Modern  hero-worship  revives  that 
in  some  degree,  and  theosophic  self-v/orship  is 


138     Jnitiation  vs.  Evolution  Modern 

only  a  mcdined  form  of  it — worshipping  self 
because  of  the  alleged  "divinity  within,"  which 
means  the  demon  within.  It  is  cunningly  dis- 
guised demonolatry,  and  the  coined  word  "de- 
monosophy"  fittingly  represents  the  deceptive 
system  falsely  calling  itself  "theosophy." 

Modern  theosophy  revives  the  old  pagan  no- 
tion of  initiation  as  a  magic  change  whereby 
candidates  are  brought  into  direct  knowledge  of, 
and  contact  and  unity  with,  the  divinities.  It  is 
a  process  of  semi-incarnation  of  the  supernatural 
supposed  by  the  deluded  to  be  the  "All-Spirit," 
or  the  "Over-Soul,"  or  the  "Cosmic  Force,"  etc., 
but  which  is  a  process  of  disguised  demonization. 
This  is  the  most  serious  phase  of  our  subject, 
and  careful  reading  is  particularly  in  order  here. 

Besant  says  that,  while  evolution  is  the  secret 
of  life,  yet  there  is  a  shorter  way — through  ini- 
tiation, which  takes  one  out  of  the  scheme  of  evo- 
lution, and  is  "treading  a  shorter  and  steeper 
road  to  human  perfection."  Yes,  indeed,  if  one 
opens  wide  the  door  and  lets  the  Devil  have  his 
way,  the  process  of  demonization  surely  can  be 
hastened  very  much!  In  the  primer  of  the  cult, 
for  novitiate  consumption,  evolution  is  asserted 
to  be  an  inviolable  law,  but  when  a  victim  is  suf- 
ficiently deluded,  the  shorter  way  is  offered — 
a  regular  confidence  game  !  Law  can  be  laid  aside 
for  the  accommodation  of  theosophic  salvation- 


TiiEosoPHY  Removing  Hindrances     139 

seekers,  but  the  Christian  doctrine  of  salvation 
by  grace  is  denounced  as  a  monstrosity  and  an 
impossibility  in  the  presence  of  law! 

We  need  not  go  into  the  tedious  details  of  this 
initiation,  which  involves  more  laborious  proces- 
€s  of  preparation  than  is  required  in  a  whole 
lifetime  of  full  Christian  service.  There  are 
many  tedious  steps  in  contrast  to  the  simple,  di- 
rect and  restful  way  of  Christian  faith,  confes- 
sion, reformation,  restitution,  and  baptism,  which 
bring-  a  sinner  into  full  experience  of  a  salvation 
whose  fruit  is  unto  righteousness  and  holiness, 
and  the  end  everlasting  life.  The  service  of  dev- 
ils is,  indeed,  a  hard  one.  The  burdens  they  im- 
pose are  sometimes  grotesque,  and  even  ludicrous 
if  they  were  not  so  awfully  disastrous.  But  the 
3^oke  of  Jesus  is  easy,  and  his  burden  is  light. 

YOGA 

A  FEW  years  ago  the  Vv^ord  "Yoga"  was  unknown 
to  most  people  outside  the  Orient.  Now  it  is 
familiar,  and  one  can  hardly  pass  the  window  of 
a  book  shop  without  seeing  bookb  on  Yoga  of- 
fered for  sale.  Yet  there  is  little  understanding 
of  what  it  really  means. 

Besant  says  that  yoga  is  a  process  for  secur- 
ing swifter  evolution  by  putting  away  hindrances. 
We  have  just  had  her  dictum  that  initiation  is 
the  shortest  escape  from  evolution.  So  yoga  and 


140    Subjugating  the  Body  Modern 

initiation  must  be  close  of  kin,  and  so  it  is.  What 
are  the  hindrances  to  be  overcome?  Simply  the 
vigor  of  body  that  makes  it  hard  for  demons  to 
obtain  control.  The  body,  especially  the  nervous 
system,  must  be  weakened  so  as  to  be  in  a  state 
of  easy  subjugation.  And  it  must  be  passive; 
for  the  first  stage  of  the  process  is  largely  in  the 
nature  of  hypnosis.  Illness,  especially  nervous 
prostration,  is  often  the  forerunner  of  insanity 
that  is  of  the  nature  of  demon-possession.  But 
the  violence  of  ordinary  insanity  can  be  escaped 
by  a  more  gradual  process  of  invasion,  wherem 
the  victim  co-operates  by  following  certain  pro- 
cesses of  adjustment.  Of  course,  no  one  would 
deliberately  do  that ;  so  the  schenie  must  be  dis- 
guised, and  hence  the  pretense  of  piety  in  the 
yogic  processes.  Victims  are  led  to  think  that 
yoga  is  to  purify  their  bodies,  making  them  fit 
channels  for  the  ''Masters"  to  work  through,  and 
these  beings  are  represented  to  be  great  and  wise 
and  good.  Those  who  have  been  brought  up 
under  Christian  teaching  are  led  to  believe  that 
it  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  his 
coming  to  his  temples. 

Christianity  finds  hindrances  of  quite  another 
kind — moral  and  spiritual  conditions,  the  re- 
moval of  which  is  not  by  fleshly  activities  but 
moral  and  spiritual  processes.  No  yoga  prepara- 
tion is  required.    A  candidate  for  Christian  bap- 


Theosophy  Godliness  vs.  Yoga     141 

tism,  or  initiation,  does  not  make  himself  holy 
in  order  to  receive  baptism,  but  receives  baptism 
to  put  him  in  the  way  to  holiness.  And  that 
holiness  is  one  of  character,  not  the  fake  thing 
called  holiness  in  oriental  religions — a  subjec- 
tion of  the  body  to  spirit  influences.  Progress 
in  the  new  life  in  Christ  calls  for  the  laying  aside 
of  hindrances,  too,  but  in  a  spiritual  sense,  not  in 
yoga. 

Let  us  lay  aside  every  weight  and  the  sin  that  so 
easily  besets  us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race 
that  is  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the 
leader  and  completer  of  the  faith.      — Heb.  12:1,2. 

No  magic  or  yoga  about  this ;  no  cutting  short 
any  process  of  growth,  but  patient  endurance 
and  continuance  through  the  needful  experiences 
of  trial  that  bring  out  the  graces  of  holy  Hving. 
Such  is  the  Christian  way.  The  bodily  exercises 
of  yoga  are  such  as  Paul  says  "profit  little."  "But 
godliness,"  said  he,  "is  prontable  unto  all  things." 
"'BUT" — note  the  contrast?  Yoga  is  not  godli- 
ness at  all. 

The  inconsistency  of  the  proposition  that  the 
body  needs  purification  appears  when  we  con- 
sider the  theosophic  theory  of  man's  origin.  If 
matter  is  condensed  spirit,  and  spirit  is  only 
good ;  if  m.an  is  a  Spark  evolving  from  a  good 
source,  and  if  evolution  is  a  climb  upward — how 
and  v/hence  came  the  corruption    to  be  cleared 


142    Deep  Breathing-  Modern 

away  ?  No  fall,  no  sin,  yet  evil ! !  And  that  evil 
is  so  very  bad  that  long  and  painful  yogic  labors 
are  needed  to  remove  it !  How  f astidiotis  demons- 
are  ! ! 

The  most  familiar  and  most  practiced  yoga 
exercise  is  a  deep,  rythmical  breathing.  Full 
breathing  as  a  physiological  practice  is  not  the 
purpose  of  yoga  breathing.  The  theory  is  that 
the  life  principle,  or  power,  pervades  the  atmos- 
phere and  is  to  be  breathed  into  the  body  like 
air — an  ancient  superstition.  Deep  rythmical 
breathing  brings  in  more  of  this  life  force,  and 
in  a  manner  to  make  it  miore  effective  by  bring- 
ing the  body  into  rythm  with  the  vibrations  of 
the  'Vital  force"  entity.  But  if,  as  is  asserted^ 
every  soul  has  already  innate  divinity  and  the 
life  thereof,  why  the  need  of  breathing  it  in? 
The  ancients,  observing  that,  when  people  die, 
their  breath  ceases,  inferred  that  air  is  the  life 
of  the  body,  and  thus  came  to  identify  the  breath 
with  the  soul.  Theosophists  have  a  similar  no- 
tion. They  quote  the  Bible  references  to  the 
Spirit  of  God  as  breath,  without  considering  that 
Bible  language  had  to  accommodate  the  under- 
standing of  the  people  living  when  it  was  writ- 
ten, and  that  the  spirit  of  the  woi'd  reveals  the 
broader  meaning  as  minds  develop.  Literalism 
was  and  is  a  snare.  It  can  easily  be  perverted 
to  make  words  seem  to  teach  what  they  are  not 


TiiEOSOPiiY  Dangerous  Practices     143 

intended  to  teach.  But  when  they  quote  such 
references  to  Spirit  and  breath,  theosophists  omit 
to  quote  the  part  which  speaks  of  God  as  breath- 
ing'upon  whom  he  will— exchiding  any  notion  of 
people  breathing  in  the  Spirit  of  God  through 
the  lungs. 

It  would  seem  that  an  exercise  for  such  a 
good  purpose,  and  protected  by  the  beneficent 
mahatmas,  could  have  but  salutary  results.  On 
the  contrary,  however,  disastrous  consequences 
often  follow  the  practice.  A  Hindu  writer 
earnestly  warns  against  this  yoga  for  any  but 
native  Hindus,  because  of  the  different  atmos- 
pheric conditions  in  other  climates.  Especial 
danger  attends  the  practice  by  Europeans  and 
Americans,  he  says,  who  sometimes  become  in- 
sane because  of  western  impatience,  greater 
nerve  tension  (less  passivity),  and  the  absence 
of  experienced  teachers.  We  are  compelled  to 
note  the  peculiar  situation  in  the  locaUzation  of 
any  process  featured  in  such  a  universal  religion 
as  theosophy  claims  to  be. 

Sometimes,  in  yoga  breathing,  the  breath  sud- 
denly stops  entirely,  and  convulsions  follow. 
Some  victims  fall  into  fits,  and  show  violent 
signs  of  demon-possession.  Pulmonary  trouble 
frequently  results  from  this  yoga. 

Another  yoga  is  "concentration,"  a  term^  we 
hear  and  see  so  much  today.    Insanity  sometimes 


144     ""Tranquility" — Passivity  Modern: 

results  from  such  concentration.  Refined  and 
cultured  women  have  been  suddenly  seized  by- 
violent  demons  of  an  unclean  order  (the  unclean 
spirits  c^f  Bible  mention)  and  tortured  with 
visions  and  voices  of  such  horrible  vileness  as 
to  keep  them  in  constant  and  sleepless  terror. 
Idiocy  and  suicide  are  among  the  results  of  yoga 
practice. 

Holding  the  breath  is  another  yoga,  profess- 
edly as  a  means  for  gaining  control  over  one's 
own  vital  functions  so  as  to  develop  power  to 
separate  the  soul  from  the  body,  and  function- 
on  the  "astral  plane. '^  Pains  and  heart  palpita- 
tions are  among  the  results  of  such  ycga.  Look- 
ing at  the  nose  with  both  eyes  is  another  yoga^ 
resulting  sometimes  in  permanent  cross-eyes. 
What  kind  of  a  religion  can  use  such  rubbish? 

All  such  exercises  are  supposed  to  '"produce 
tranquility  of  mind,  or  m.editation''' — to  quote 
thecsophical  literature.  How  different  the  tran- 
quility found  in  simple  Christian  faith,  giving 
child-like  repose  and  v>'ithout  any  danger  to  body 
or  mind.  Self-induced  stupor  called  mental  tran- 
quility !  What  stUT)idity  can  deluded  people 
honor?  Passivity  is  the  whole  meaning  of  yoga. 
Christian  tranquility  is  not  passivity,  and  medi- 
tation is  decidedly  an  alert  mental  process.  Yoga 
is  for  the  purpose  of  stupefying  the  brain  and 
nerve  centers,  so  that  demons  can  have  power 


Theosophy  Appeal  to  Vanity     145 

over  their  victims,  even  to  entering  their  bodies 
and  taking  control.  This  control  will  be  direct- 
ed according  to  circumstances.  Some  who  are 
capable  will  be  left  in  apparent  rational  condi- 
tion, with  their  minds  under  delusicnal  con- 
straint, while  others  may  be  made  definitely  in- 
sane. 

As  a  lure  to  women,  it  is  promised  that  yoga 
will  make  them  younger  and  prettier — all  in  a 
spiritual  sense,  of  course,  in  this  hyper-spiritual 
cult !  Christianity  makes  no  such  appeal  to  vani- 
ty, but  directs  to  modesty  and  a  repression  of 
carnal  vanities.  My  observation  among  women 
theosophists  indicates  that  the  promise  of  yogic 
youth  and  beauty  is  a  deception ;  for  those  I  have 
seen  are,  if  anything,  homelier  and  older-looking, 
either  because  of,  or  in  spite  of,  yoga.  A  pecu- 
liar dullness,  heaviness,  and  passive  deadness 
marks  the  features,  except  during  moments  of 
animated  conversation. 

Now  note  particularly — The  *'lord"  of  the 
yogis  is  Krishna,  who  is  also  *'Lord  of  love."  He 
iiad  16,000  wives,  and  left  180,000  children !  His 
favorite  consort  was  Rhoda,  which  name  means 
"love  energy."  Paganism,  like  modern  fiction, 
knows  no  love  higher  than  the  psychic  emction 
and  sentiment  that  accompany  sex,  as  against 
the  Christian  love  which  is  directed  to  personal- 
ity as  such.     Some  of  the  secret  orders  of  this 


146     The  ''Sixth  Sense"  Modern 

spiritism  are  inveigling  women  into  the  toils  of 
free-love  by  appeals  to  vanity  of  looks  and  the 
promise  of  prolonged  youth.  Vanity  flattered, 
many  women  will  follow  blindly  any  lead  what- 
soever. 

THE    NEW    CONSCIOUSNESS 

Besant  refers  to  the  ancient  mysteries  in  order 
to  define  initiation,  and,  like  them,  defines  it  as 
an  ''expansion  of  the  consciousness."  She  adds : 

Initiation  itself  is  a  certain  series  of  events  through 
which  the  man  passes;  actual  events,  and  ex- 
periences taking  a  certain  amount  of  time,  not  a 
vague,  indefinite  series  of  feelings,  [intended  for 
a  knock  against  the  usual  religious  preliminaries  of 
church  mem.bcrship],  but  actual  communications 
and  thoughts  and  actions  gone  through  by  a  man 
out  of  the  physical  body  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
assembly  of  Masters.  The  result  is  that  the  m.an 
becomes  conscious  of  a  new  world  suddenly  sur- 
rounding him. 

When  the  initiate  comes  back  into  the  physical 
world,  he  siill  finds 

another  world  around  him,  a  new  phase  of  con- 
sciousness belonging  to  him.  He  sees  where  before 
he  was  blind.  He  knows  where  before  he  only 
hoped  or  guessed. 

This  is  a  distinct  and  clear  statement  of  demoni- 
zation.  The  "sixth  sense"  so  much  referred  to 
in  this  mysticism — this  enlarged  and  added  con- 


TiiEOSOPHY  Spiritual  Consciousness     147 

sciousness  of  another  world— is  the  conscious- 
ness of  demons  added  to,  or  super-imposed  up- 
on, that  of  humans.    Such  consciousness  is  quite 
different  from  the  "assurance  of  faith"  of  Chris- 
tianity,  and   the   hope    which   anchors   the   soul 
without  actually  seeing  the  future  things.  "Faith 
is  tlie  substance  [or  foundation  basis]  of  things 
hoped  for,  the  evidence    [conviction  is  a  better 
rendering]    of   things  not   seen."   The   Christian 
life  is  one  of  faith,  not  of  direct  experience,  with 
a   spook-world.    Faith   is   the   spiritual   eye,   and 
Christianity  means  the  spiritual  life  working  m 
the  physical  and  controlling  it.     Spiritual  con- 
sciousness   is    quite    different    from    occult    con- 
sciousness.   We  are  not  to  try,  in  any  manner,  by 
imagination  or  otherwise,  to  realize  the  presence 
of  God  or  of  Jesus  or  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
Father  is  in  Heaven,  and  Christ  is  there  also. 
The  Holy   Spirit  is  here,  but  he  works  in  our 
spirits,  not  in  our  psychical  or  physical  bodies 
directly,  but  through  our  spirits.   God  is  the  fath- 
er of  spirits  only,  and  the  real  new  birth  is  of 
our  spiritual  natures,  not  of  our  psychical  and 
physical.    If  people  v/ere  instructed  in  this  more, 
there  would  be  less  response  to  the  occult  ap- 
peal.    Whenever  one  feels  the  presence  of  some 
invisible  being  he  should  beware.     No  response 
should  be  made  other  than  to  pray  to  God  for 
protection  from  the  invisible  enemy;  for  it  is  a 


ERRORS    CORRECTED 

This  hook  was  linotyped  during  a  strike  of  printers,  when  green  help 
had  to  be  used.  It  was  hard  to  get  galleys  of  type  corrected.  Several 
errors  slipped  through,  notwithstanding  care  of  proof-readers.  Please 
read  with  the  following  corrections  thus  far  noted. 

read 


Page  1,  line  7,  for  "  it  goes 


sorcery  goes. 


54,  "  1,  for  "  recogized  "  read  "  recognized." 

57,  "  9  from  bottom,  read  "Porphyry." 

71,  "  3  f rom  bot.,  f or  " concious "  read   "conscious." 

86,  "  4,  insert  "been"  after  "have." 

89,  "  2  of  par.  2,  for  "dispension"  read  "dispensation.' 

91,  "  5,  read  "of  incantation." 

125,  "  4  from  bottom,  read  "abnormalities." 

126,  "  2  of  quotation,  for  "kneed"  read  "knead." 
130,  "  5,  read  "sympathies." 

139,  "  5,  read  "  processes." 

163,  "  10  from  bottom,  read  "  par  biceps. " 

164,  "  1,  par.  2,  read  "  debauching." 
178,  "  6,  read  "crystallized." 

182,  "  4,  from  bottom,  read  "  censoriousness." 


1 


148     Quietness  of  the  Spiritual  Modern 

sure  indication  that  some  evil  spirit  is  trying  to 
get  entrance  to  deceive.  God  does  not  work  that 
way.  Many  suppose  that  every  supernatural 
manifestion  is  from  God,  but  it  is  not  at  all  so. 
'The  kingdom  of  Heaven  comes  not  with  ob- 
servation," said  Jesus.  True  spiritual  influences 
come  quietly  and  work  quietly,  as  do  the  forces 
we  call  those  of  nature.  The  demonstrations 
that  appeared  when  Christianity  was  being  es- 
tablished were  for  a  temporary  purpose,  as 
Scripture  teaches,  and  we  need  to  repeat  it  until 
we  remember  and  beware  of  imitations  now  ev- 
erywhere being  practiced.  We  do  not  want  any 
consciousness  of  another  world  surrounding  us; 
for  that  is  the  world  of  evil  spirits  that  infest 
this  atmosphere.  We  have  to  wrestle  against 
those  enemies,  as  the  apostle  tells  us.  The  angels 
had  to  do  it  before  us,  and  Jesus  did  so  in  his 
humanity.  We  who  follow  him  must  also  over- 
come, if  we  would  share  in  his  victory.  So  Vv-e 
should  not  think  it  a  strange  thing.  The  strange 
thing  is  that  people  can  be  deluded  into  thinking 
that  devils  are  angels,  and  that  the  occult  life 
is  better  than  the  faith  life. 

After  the  initiatory  state  has  somewhat  matur- 
ed, the  double  consciousness  becomes  blended 
into  a  kind  of  unity.     Besant  says: 

Now  his  consciousness  is  to  begin  to  blend  with  the 
consciousness   of    the    Master,    and    he    is    to    feel 


TiiEOSOPiiY  Pagan  Mysteries     149 

His  presence  more  clearly,  His  thought  more  ef- 
fectively. 

Here  we  have  clearly  stated  the  very  core  of 
Theosophy — the  incarnation  of  demons  in  human 
beings.  This  union  of  two  consciousnesses  is  thus 
readily  seen  to  be  the  only  real  explanation  of 
the  theory  of  reincarnation.  It  is  simply  the  suc- 
cessive incarnations  of  the  same  demons  in  dif- 
ferent people,  while  retaining  some  memory  of 
experiences  while  in  former  bodies.  Besant  says : 

It  is  often  at  this  stage  that  special  and  illuminating 
teachings  are  given  to  the  young  disciple,  in  order 
to  help  him  more  swiftly  on  his  way. 

This  is  a  plain  statement  as  to  the  source  of  the- 
osophic  doctrine.  It  tallies  with  Olcott's  de- 
scriptions of  how  he  and  Blavatsky  received 
much  of  what  they  put  out  as  mahatmic  revela- 
tions. Again  the  Bible  is  supported  in  its  state- 
ment about  the  doctrines  of  demons. 

INITIATORY    TRIALS 

In  the  ancient  pagan  mysteries  candidates  un- 
dergoing initiation  were  put  through  a  series  of 
tests  [from  which  were  derived  the  plays  of 
modern  lodgery  in  their  initiation  ceremonies] 
professedly  to  try  their  mettle,  but,  in  reality, 
they  were  disguises  for  the  psychic  influences  of 
the  working  demons.    We  may  not  profitably  de- 


150     Cautiousness  of  Faith  Modern 


tail  here  the  tests  in  theosophic  initiations,  but 
refer  to  one  of  them  because  of  its  bearing  on  the 
experiences  of  many  Christians  who  are  ignor- 
ant of  the  meaning,  and  so  fall  into  a  snare. 

In  describing  the  process  of  initiation,  Steiner 
says  that  the  third  test  calls  for  resolution  and 
strength  to  choose  quickly.     He  says : 

In  all  matters  one  must  quickly  resolve  to  hear  the 
suggestions,  the  inspirations  of  the  Spirit.  One 
has  no  time  for  doubt  or  delay.  Every  moment 
of  hesitation  would  add  to  the  proof  that  one  is 
not  ready. 

Demciis  are  busy !  Their  work  must  go  with  a 
rush  !  *'Do  it  now"  is  their  motto !  They  want 
people  to  act  precipitately,  inconsiderately,  with- 
out investigation,  lest  the  deception  be  discover- 
ed in  time  to  avoid  committing  one's  self  to  ac- 
ceptance and  action.  Note  the  cunning  in  mak- 
ing it  appear  that  hesitancy  is  a  sign  of  unfitness 
— appealing  to  pride  to  make  a  show  of  readi- 
ness by  prompt  response.  While  Christianity 
condemns  neglect  and  indifference,  yet  it  asks 
that  caution  be  exercised  in  investigation ;  for 
truth  will  not  perish  while  any  honest  soul 
searches  to  find  its  foundation.  Integrity  is  safe 
while  doing  the  inquiring.  TJien  hold  fast  that 
which  is  true.  Count  the  cost.  Invest.  Keep. 
"Who  hesitates  is  lost"  is  the  devil's  motto,  rather 
than  God's.  Slowness  of  response  as  an  indication 


TuEOSOPHY  Delusional  Spells     151 

of  unreadiness  for  initiation  is,  rather,  an  indi- 
cation that  a  person  has  not  become  so  weakened 
by  yoga  or  so  deluded  by  false  teaching  as  to 
give  up  readily  to  demons,  hence  deferred  action. 
Added  to  the  fraud  of  demanding  hasty  action, 
is  the  requirement  that  the  candidate  mentally  re- 
fer his  actions  to  himself,  holding  the  mind  to 
the  thought  that  it  is  self  who  is  acting  voluntar- 
ily with  selfless  motive  of  surrender  to  the  spirit 
which  he  supposes  to  be  the  universal  soul.  This 
disguises  the  responsibility  of  the  demon  and 
makes  the  person  think  that  the  added  intelligence 
and  consciousness  are  only  an  awakening  of  his 
own  latent  powers.  Demons  are  willing  to  be  the 
"power  behind"  so  long  as  it  gives  them  the 
advantage  in  deception. 

Entirely  apart  from  any  knowledge  or  thought 
of  theosophy  or  initiation,  devout  Christians  are 
subject  to  such  trials  from  the  spirit  enemies, 
who  come  professing  to  be  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
insisting  on  precipitate  decision  in  this  or  that 
proposition.  The  accusing  threat  is  that  it  Is  the 
last  chance  to  be  offered,  with  hell  as  the  alter- 
native of  immediate  action.  Hesitancy  or  fail- 
ure, with  the  uninformed,  is  punished  with  a 
spell  of  hypnotic  horror  until,  in  not  a  few  cases, 
people  have  felt  that  they  had  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin.  Some  have  suft'ered  tortures 
of  hell  for  years  before  discovering  the  decep- 
tion.    More  instruction  is  needed  cii  this  subject 


152     Mystery  Trials  and  Faith  Trial      Modern 

in  the  churches.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  never  a 
driver,  but  always  a  gentle  guide  and  helper, 
sympathizing  with  our  infirmities.  He  is  never 
an  accuser  or  threatener,  but  always  a  friend 
and  counsellor.  He  does  not  speak  by  direct 
voices  nor  by  psychic  impressions,  but  by  enlight- 
ening the  understanding  and  encouraging  the 
heart  in  response  to  the  word  of  God  and  the 
testimony  of   Christian  conduct. 

The  Spirit  of  God  does  not  terrorize  nor  put 
candidates  for  the  Christian  life  through  mysteri- 
ous trials  to  determine  their  courage  and  incite 
their  pride  of  endurance.  The  trial  of  faith  in 
later  Christian  experience,  due  to  hostile  sur- 
roundings, is  an  entirely  different  thing.  It  is 
not  to  the  naturally  bold  that  He  ccmes,  but  to 
the  meek  and  gentle ;  not  to  the  self-assertive, 
but  to  the  self -humbling.  He  comes,  not  to 
scare  or  to  cast  down,  but  to  encourage  and  lift 
up.  There  is  no  condition  imposed  for  salvation 
but  simple,  direct  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord 
and  Saviour.  There  is  no  "meeting  of  condi- 
tions," as  we  read  and  hear  so  much  today — an 
expression  belonging  to  the  spiritistic  recrudes- 
cence of  pagan  mysticism  now  filling  the  air. 

But  from  him  [God]  you  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  became 
to  us  wisdom  from  God,  righteousness  also,  and  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  redemption;  that  (as  it  has  been  written),  "Let 
him  who  boasts  boast  in  the  Lord."  — /  Cor.  1:30,31. 


Theosophy  Danyeroiis  Re-Births     153 


MEDIUMSHIP  THE  THEOSOPHIC 
AT-ONE-MENT 

The  union  of  the  human  and  demon  conscious- 
ness in  theosophic  mediumship  (demon  incarna- 
tion) is  the  "at-one-ment"  which  Theosophy 
flaunts  so  brazenly  as  a  substitute  for  Christian 
atonement.  It  is  the  explanation  of  the  *'god- 
within"  preachment  of  the  cult.  It  is  admitted 
that  this  new  birth  is  attended  with  much  dan- 
ger :  for  the  least  resistance  from  the  candidate 
precipitates  a  warfare,  or  struggle.  Demons  will 
net  take  second  place  in  their  work.  They  will 
rule  or  ruin ;  dictate  or  destroy,  if  they  can,  and 
only  the  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  can 
preserve  and  deliver  from  them.  But  those  who 
go  into  this  trap  have  not  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 
so  have  to  take  the  consequences — often  insani- 
ty. Nobody  ever  heard  of  such  a  condition  of 
danger  attending  the  Christian  new  birth. 

Certain  nominally  Christian  sects  have  what 
they  call  a  "coming  through"  in  an  experience  of 
altar  conversion,  which,  if  successful,  is  termed 
"'coming  through  all  right,"  implying  a  danger 
of  not  doing  so.     But  there  is  considerable  indi- 


154     Clu'lstian  Contrasts  Modern 

cation  that  such  mystical  notions  and  practices 
are  more  spiritistic  than  spiritual.  Pupils  of  oc- 
cultism are  cautioned  against  trying,  by  them- 
selves, to  force  or  hasten  initiation.  They  are  to 
avoid  initiation,  if  possible,  when  alone,  but 
should  have  some  experienced  teacher  of  the 
cult  present.  But  who  can  conceive  such  a  thing 
as  harm  coming  to  a  lone  perscn  in  any  dealings 
with  God,  who  is  Good,  and  who  makes  special 
offer  of  blessing  to  those  who  meet  him  in  the 
secret  closet?  Without  exception,  any  proposi- 
tion of  a  new  birth  involving  danger  may  be  at- 
tributed to  evil  agencies. 


But  God,  being  rich  in  mercy,  because  of  his  great 
love  with  which  he  loved  us,  and  we  being  dead 
in  sins,  he  made  alive  together  with  Christ,  (by 
favor  [the  Geeek  means  direct,  unmerited  gift,  or 
kindness]  are  you  saved),  and  raised  us  up  togeth- 
er, and  seated  us  together  in  the  heavenlies  in 
Christ  Jesus,  in  order  that  he  might  demonstrate 
in  the  coming  ages  the  surpassing  wealth  of  his 
favor  by  kindness  toward  us  in  Christ  Jesus. 

—Eph.  2-4-7. 


Theosophy  spiritual  rs.  Psycliical     155 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  PSYCHIC  POWERS 

Representative  Theosophisls  say:  *Tsychic 
powers  will  assuredly  be  an  endowment  of  our 
race  at  no  distant  time."  Such  is  too  evidently  the 
trend  of  the  hour.  It  accords  with  the  predic- 
tion in  the  nineteenth  verse  of  the  epistle  of  Jude, 
which  says  the  time  will  come  when  religious 
teachers  will  mislead  people  into  strange  and 
destructive  perversions  of  doctrine  and  practice, 
being  "psychic,  not  having  spirit."  [This  is  a  lit- 
eral rendering  from  the  Greek,  and  expresses 
the  meaning  better  than  does  the  usual  version]. 
The  amazing  spread  of  psychism,  and  the  "psy- 
chology of  religion,"  or,  rather,  the  religion  of 
psycholog>%  is  in  direct  accord  with  the  predic- 
ticn,  and  a  sign  of  this  being  the  period  of  the 
last  days.  The  whole  thing  is  in  burlesque  of 
the  truly  spiritual.  Demons  have  not  the  spirit 
of  God,  and  they  ply  their  schemes  in  the  psychic 
realm,  as  closely  imitating  real  spiritual  proces- 
ses as  they  can.  People  who  do  not  understand 
the  distinction  between  the  spiritual  and  the 
psychical  are  easily  mislead  by  the  imitation. 
When  piously  inclined,  jet  without  understand- 
ing, thev  are  too  easily  led  into  the  trap  by  a 


156    'Tsychology"  Modern 

shew  of  piety  working  in  occult  lines.  Scripture 
designates  a  sort  of  religiousness  as  "the  Devil's 
righteousness,"  and  here  it  is — some  of  it. 

We  are  everywhere  confronted  today,  with 
the  "psychology"  of  this,  that  and  the  other, 
with  much  show  of  wisdom  and  power  wielded 
through  psychic  appeal  and  influence.  It  is 
taught  in  a  flood  of  literature,  in  lectures,  in 
school,  in  churches,  until  it  seems  as  though  the 
existence  of  real  mind  has  been  forgotten,  and 
the  spiritual  nature  has  been  lost.  It  is  a  sure 
sign  of  the  last  days ;  for  it  is  the  fulfillment  of 
the  "times  of  the  gentiles"  who  have  mysticised 
truth  as  the  Jews  legalized  it.  There  remains  no 
further  abuse  or  perversion  of  it,  and  God  will 
soon  put  to  an  end  the  follies  of  man  in  tamper- 
ing with  his  revelation  of  himself. 

Details  of  the  process  of  psychic  development 
are  of  interest  to  the  student,  but  not  suited  to 
a  popular  work  of  this  kind,  and  we  pass  them 
by  with  the  warning  that  Christians  beware  of 
the  whole  thing  now  offered  in  the  name  of 
psychology  but  which  is  made  a  cloak  for  spirit- 
ism. Scripture  distinguishes  between  the  spirit- 
ual and  the  psychical,  but,  today,  the  trend  is  to 
ignore  the  spiritual  and  call  the  psychic  by  that 
term,  making  the  two  to  appear  identical. 

The  kingdom  of  God  comes  not  with  scrutiny.  —Lk.  17:20. 
Neither  occultism  nor  scientific  investigations  can  find  it. 


TiiEOSOPiiY  Plain  Intimations     157 


SEXUAL  PERVERSIONS 

Ancient  mystery  religions  made  much  profes- 
sion of  purity,  with  their  temple  "virgins"  and 
ascetic  regulations.  But  some  of  their  secret 
practices  as  religious  rites  were  too  impure  to 
be  mentioned.  Hindu  religionists  talk  purity,  but 
how  about  their  priests  and  "virgin"  attendants? 
Hindu  Swami  Vivekenanda,  vv^hose  books  read 
V\ath -charming  diction,  and  abound  in  phrases 
about  "spirituality" — a  favorite  teacher  in  the- 
osophical  circles — is  reported  to  have  boasted, 
upon  his  return  to  India  after  a  teaching  tour  of 
Europe  and  America,  of  how  v/estern  women 
Vv^ere  to  him  as  the  Nautch,  or  temple  girls,  of  his 
own  country.  Of  course,  he  referred  to  theoso- 
phists  amiong  whom  he  mingled  as  teacher.  The 
public  knows  not  what  takes  place  in  the  inner 
circles  of  theosophic  initiates.  Intimations  have 
slipped  out,  and  son>e  of  the  literature  contains 
hints  of  all  we  need  to  know.  I  have  seen  clan- 
destine love  letters  sent  by  a  writer  of  theosophic 
books  to  a  woman  theosophist  with  whom  he  was 
working  the  affinity  proposition,  that  contained 
matter  of  such  a  character  that  the  postal  au- 
thorities took  the  case  in  hand  to  suppress  the 


15S     Pagan  ImmoraUtics  Moderk 

correspondence.  The  woman  protested  inno- 
cence of  intention,  claiming  it  to  be  only  a  test 
of  her  spiritual  development !  But  that  man  was 
connected  with  a  Chicago  outfit  of  deceivers  who 
worked  the  "Great  Schod"  secret  order  for  the 
express  purpose  of  ensnaring  women.  Many 
homes  were  destroyed  through  its  operations. 

The  history  of  religion  shows  that  the  trend 
of  every  false  system  has  been  to  the  practice  of 
things  that  God  has  declared  to  be  wrong.  Heath- 
enism has  alv/ays  shielded  sexual  vice,  even  by 
making  it  a  feature  of  religious  ceremonies. 
Modern  revivals  of  paganism  are  not  likely  to 
be  better  for  long,  and,  in  fact,  are  already  bring- 
ing out  those  perversions.  The  Gnosticism  of  the 
early  days  of  Christianity  endeavored  to  bring 
into  the  church  the  phallic  philosophy  of  the 
heathen  by  clothing  it  in  the  terminolcg}^  of 
Christianity.  A  little  of  it  continues  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  in  certain  customs  which  pious,  but  un- 
informed, church  people  cherish. 

The  religion  of  ancient  Egypt  was  a  form  of 
nature-worship  in  which  sexual  immorality  was 
practiced.  When  Moses  came  down  from  the 
i\Iountain  of  Law,  he  was  enraged  at  finding  the 
people  naked  and  worshiping  the  golden  calf, 
which  worship  involved  gross  immoralities. 
Modern  Theosophy,  we  have  noted,  was  started 
as  a  recrudescence  of  ancient  Egyptain  nature- 


TiiEOSOPTTY  Mischievous  Books     159 

worship  and  magic  by  a  woman  of  loose  reputa- 
tion. It  is  entirely  logical  to  expect  it  to  trend 
in  the  direction  of  the  ancient  original.  But 
slyness  has  to  be  used ;  for  the  sentiment  of 
people  long  taught  Christian  morality  would  not 
tolerate  an  abrupt  proposition  to  follow  the  ways 
of  that  paganism.  Secret  orders  of  Theosophy 
are  increasing.  By  gradual  instruction  and  in- 
fluence, members  are  led  to  the  point  of  believ- 
ing that  promiscuous  sexuality  is  proper,  if  only 
it  be  as  an  expression  of  spiritual  affinity !  Our 
public  libraries  contain  books  of  which  the  gen- 
eral public  has  no  knowledge,  that  are  eagerly 
read  by  wom.en  under  theosophic  tutelage.  Li- 
brarians say  they  get  the  books  in  response  to 
demands  from  patrons,  but  do  not  know  the  na- 
ture of  the  contents.  Such  books  should  be  de- 
stroyed ;  for  their  pernicious  influence  is  cor- 
rupting many. 

I  do  not  charge  that  every  individual  iheoso- 
phist  is  a  sexual  reprobate,  but  I  do  emphasize 
that  the  trend  is  in  that  direction  in  all  spiritistic 
cults  like  Theosophy,  Eddyism,  Mormonism,  and 
plain  Spiritism.  In  certain  "degrees"  of  theosoph- 
ic work  certain  sexual  "truths"  are  taught,  which 
are  alleged  to  be  of  an  especially  high  spiritual 
nature — too  sacred  for  the  common  herd  to 
know!  But  the  veil  of  secrecy  is  enough  to  con- 
demn the  v/hole  thing,  and  anybody  but  the  de- 


160     Climax  of  Absiirdtfy  Modern" 

Juded  knows  what  the  probablity  is.  In  a  curious 
book  before  quoted,  which  is  attributed  to  Blavat- 
sky,  is  the  following: 

Being  obliged  to  start  an  esoteric  section,  to  teach 
those  things  which  it  was  impossible  to  impart 
to  the  students  except  under  the  bond  of  an  oath 
between  the  teacher  and  pupil,  I  carefully  prepared 
those  whom  I  could  trust  so  that  they  would  not 
drift  back  into  the  worldly  methods.  I  sought  in 
this  way  to  impart  magnetic  and  sexual  truths 
which  could  be  imparted  only  from  car  to  ear. 

Blavatsky !  Shc^  a  mcnstrosity  of  perverted  wo- 
manhood, a  Bohemian  in  Hving,  a  questionable 
character,  a  psychic  pervert  from  earliest  child- 
hood— she  a  teacher  of  sexual  truths  too  delicate 
to  be  uttered  save  in  a  whisper  to  those  special- 
ly prepared  to  receive  1  Surely,  this  is  the  cli- 
max of  absurdity,  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  folly. 
Certain  oriental  literature  called  the  "Inner 
Studies,"  selhng  at  a  high  figure,  and  reserved 
for  the  higher  initiates,  is  said  to  be  of  such  a 
character  as  net  to  circulate  safely  through  the 
mails. 

UNCLEAN   SPIRITS 

In  the  days  of  Noah,  the  Bible  tells  us,  the 
world  was  corrupt  beyond  Divine  endurance. 
That  corruption  was  particularly  in  the  line  of 
sexual  debauchery.  It  is  rapidly  coming  to  such 
a  state  now,  from  appearances,  and  many  wonder 


Theosophy  Abnormal  Manifestations     161 

at  it.  But  it  is  not  at  all  strange,  when  one  accepts 
the  explanation  given  in  the  Bible.  The  "giants" 
who  are  said  to  have  inhabited  the  world  in  the 
days  preceding  the  flood  have  been  identified  by 
some  with  the  anakim,  or  "fallen  ones."  There 
is  some  intimation  that  these  were  incarnated 
demons  whose  extravagances  in  unrestrained  pas- 
sion corrupted  the  whole  earth.  According  to 
Dr.  Havelock  Ellis,  there  are  certain  abnormal 
manifestations  of  "'spontaneous  sexual  emoticn 
generated  in  the  absence  of  an  external  stimulus 
proceeding,  directly  or  indirectly,  from  another 
person."  The  Bible  explanation,  and  that  of  men 
who  have  investigated  recent  phenomena  of  the 
kind,  is  that  such  abnormal  conditions  are  due 
to  direct  influence  from  unclean  spirits  who 
gain  entrance  and  excite  the  nervous  system  to 
a  point  beyond  the  control  of  the  victims.  Some- 
times they  produce  chronic  irritations  that  result 
in  automatic  impulse.  Again,  they  thrust  mental 
images  before  the  mind  to  incite  passion.  The 
ancient  belief  in  the  interference  of  demons  call- 
ed incnhi  and  siicciihi  was  far  from  an  idle  su- 
perstition. Nymphomania  and  such  abnormali- 
ties are  among  the  modern  phenomena.  This 
is  the  explanation  of  the  effect  of  the  "serpent 
fire,"  when  it  goes  downward,  in  the  theosophic 
theory — it  is  due  to  the  nature  of  the  demons 
who  invade  the  bodies,  or  to  the  way  they  choose 


162    Filthy  Spirits  No  Myth  Modern 

to  torment  the  victims.  Some  spirits  are  intel- 
lectual, but  blasphemous  and  rebellious  without 
being  unclean  in  other  ways ;  while  others  are 
distinctly  known  as  a  low  order  of  "unclean 
spirits."  Some  of  them  have  only  the  ccnscious- 
ness  of  animals,  even  of  the  most  filthy  kinds, 
probably  due  to  their  having  invaded  the  bodies 
of  such  animals  and  so  acquiring  the  animal 
consciousness.  They  sometimes  torment  even 
Christian  people  of  earnest  piety  with  the  most 
horrible  and  loathsome  consciousness  of  even 
dogs  and  other  unclean  beasts.  In  one  of  the 
Psalms,  David  speaks  of  dogs  compassing  him 
about,  prophetic  of  such  an  experience  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  so  of  the  inner  soulical 
experiences  of  some  of  his  most  earnest  follow- 
ers chosen  to  participate  in  his  sufferings ;  for 
one  end  of  prophecy  is  spiritual  experience.  The 
apostle  explains,  in  Ephesians  6:12,  that  the 
Christian  Vv^arfare  is  against  these  spirit  forces. 
Christians  should  not  be  surprised,  troubled,  or 
worried,  by  such  experiences.  They  must  not 
give  way  to  them. 

This  is  not  at  all  a  pleasant  topic  to  discuss ; 
no  sin  is.  But  it  is  so  serious,  and  so  thrust  upon 
our  attention  in  these  days  of  whirlwind  de- 
generacy, that  explanation  and  warnings  are 
needed.  The  public  press  indicates  a  general  per- 
plexity as  to  the  cause  of  the  tide  of  abnormal 


Theosophy  'Tarticeps  Cnminis"     163 

sexuality  that  is  sweeping  over  the  whole  coun- 
try.   It  is  only  the  logical  and  inevitable  result 
of  the  influx  of  spiritism,  especially  in  the  form 
of  oriental  paganism,  that  was  officially  welcom- 
ed into  the  country  at  the  Parliament  of  Reli- 
gions at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair.    In  a  small 
way,  the  leaven  was  already  working,  but  when 
professedly  Christian  people  opened  their  arms 
to  receive   on  a   footing    with  Christianity    the 
religious   leaders   or   representatives   of    various 
oriental  religions,  it  was  an  apostacy  which  ef- 
fectively shut  out  the  protection  of  Heaven,  and 
left   the   country   to   its   own   choice    with   only 
some  here  and  there  to  be  counted  faithful.  Of- 
ficially  and   effectively,    American    Christendom 
has   very  much  gone  over  to  the    god    of  this 
world,  and  the  present  situation  is  unavoidable. 
Only  reformation  and  restoration  can  bring  de- 
liverance.   In  some  strange  manner  the  churches 
have  quite  overlooked  the  application  of  the  rule 
of  particep  s  criminis  in  the  matter  of  doctrinal 
relations.   The  assertion  of  tolerance  as  a  Chris- 
tian duty  is  carried  to  an  extreme  of  foolishness, 
even  to  the  point    of  saying    that  the    spirit    of 
Christ  requires  us  to  open  our  arms  to  all  reli- 
gions.   But,  in  2  John  10,  11,  we  read: 

If  there  come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doc- 
trine receive  him  not  into  your  house,  neither 
bid  him  God-speed;  for  he  that  bids  hun  God- 
speed is  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds. 


164     Baal-Worship  and  Sun-Worship     Modern 

Paul  states  the  same  principle  in  1  Timothy  5  :22. 
When  the  American  churches  had  fellowship 
with,  or  even  admitted  to  council,  the  represent- 
atives of  unchristian  religions,  they  thereby  dis- 
owned Jesus  Christ  as  "the  way,  the  truth,  and 
the  Hfe,"  and  became  guilty  of  the  sins  of  those 
other  religions.  This  is  especially  the  explana- 
tion of  the  astonishing  decline  in  spiritual  power 
among  our  churches  during  the  period  following 
the  great  World's  Fair,  and  the  resultant  pagan- 
ism of  practice  that  confronts  us  everywhere. 
The  ''midway"  side-show  of  the  World's  Fair 
was  a  logical  accompaniment  of  the  bringing  in 
of  Paganism  in  religion,  and  that  show  has  cor- 
rupted the  whole  nation. 

The  same  bebauching  demons  are  now  active 
that  corrupted  the  antediluvian  world.  Modern 
Theosophy  contains  the  same  elements,  only 
modified  in  expression,  as  v/ere  active  in  ancient 
Baal-worship  and  sun-worship,  the  essence  of 
Vv^iich  was  deification  of  the  generative  principle 
in  nature,  as  we  have  noted.  Some  have  been  led, 
through  Theosophy,  into  actual  sun-worship.  The 
next  step  is  not  far  away,  and  that  is  phallic- 
worship.  Besant  defends  sun-worship,  but  says 
it  is  inferior  to  its  evolved  successor,  which  she 
does  not  name — yet.  The  history  of  sun-worship 
shows  that  its  evolved  successor  is  phallic-wor- 
ship.   As  "history  repeats  itself,"  in  the  working 


Theosophy  Theosophic  Trend     165 

out  of  the  same  principles,  the  logical  trend  of 
modern  Theosophy  is  to  the  consummation  of 
iniquity.  The  Old  Testament  intimates  the  ut- 
ter abominableness  of  the  thing,  and  ancient 
pagan  writings  give  details  that  sometimes  have 
to  be  left  in  Latin  for  the  protection  of  English 
readers.  Besant's  apology  for  sun-worship  in- 
dicates the  trend  of  theosophic  thinking.  Yet  we 
may  not  charge  all  the  present-day  degeneracy 
upon  the  cult ;  for  other  spiritisms  are  doing  the 
same  thing.  But  the  same  diabolical  powers  of 
darkness  are  back  of  it  all. 


For  it  is  indecent  even  to  mention  the 
things  done  by  them  in  secret. — Eph.  5:12. 

This  referred  to  sexual  immoralities  resulting 
from  the  worship  of  Diana,  accompanied  by  the 
"Mysteries"  that  some  cults  are  reviving.  Paul 
emphasizes  their  being  works  of  darkness,  exposed 
by  the  gospel  light.  How  amazing,  that  many 
are  refusing  that  light,  and  welcoming  the  old  and 
horrible  darkness  !    Surely,  it  is  last-day  apostacy. 


166     True  Way  to  Wisdom  Modern 


MULTIPLE  PERSONALITY 

The  air  is  full  of  talk  about  the  psycholog}^  of 
this,  that  and  the  other.  Wise  men  apply  them- 
selves to  searching  out  the  mysteries  of  mind. 
The  Society  for  Ps5xhical  Research  boasts  of 
conquests  in  the  investigation  of  psychic  phe- 
nomena and  spiritism,  and  puts  out  theories  of 
explanation  labeled  as  authoritative  decisions  of 
science.  But  it  is  much  of  a  sham,  and  the  find- 
ings are  largely  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  It  is 
forgotten  today  that  "the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the 
beginning  of  wisdom,"  and  that  "A  good  under- 
standing have  all  they  who  do  His  command- 
ments." It  is  forgotten  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  Eternal  and  All-wise  God,  declared  to  his 
apostles  that  he  treated  them  as  friends,  and 
therefore  explained  to  them  the  truths  of  God, 
not  just  giving  commands  and  exacting  unintelli- 
gent obedience.  The  real  Christian  has  the  mind 
of  Christ,  and  knows  more  about  the  workings 
of  the  human  mind  than  do  all  philosophers  and 
scientists,  however  skilled.  He  knows  even  the 
workings  of  the  mind  of  God ;  for  he  has  that 
mind  within  himself  in  the  new  birth.  So  he 
knows  the  workings  of  all  minds,  discarnate  and 


Theosophy  ''Riddle  of  Personality     167 

incarnate,  without  any  dissecting  instruments, 
laboratory  experiments,  or  speculative  theories. 
Without  such  a  mind,  the  most  brilliant  scholars 
are  but  blind,  and  their  leadership  throws  them- 
selves and  their  followers  into  the  ditch  of  dis- 
aster. Prominent  men  have  fallen  into  the  mud- 
puddle  of  spiritism  by  their  scientific  experi- 
ments in  the  psychic  field.  The  Devil  is  far 
keener  than  is  the  merely  human  mind,  and  can 
delude  the  greatest  scientists  who  have  not  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit.  Going  where  God  is  not  with 
them,  they  go  in  darkness,  and  without  protec- 
tion, and  fall  right  into  the  trap  of  the  Deceiver. 
God  has  forbidden  man  to  pry  into  the  secrets 
of  the  occult,  but  invited  to  come  to  him  for 
wisdom. 

What  scientists  call  "the  riddle  of  personality" 
is  no  riddle  at  all.  Yet  the  thing  is  having  a  big 
run  just  now  among  so-called  thinking  people. 
The  guesses  the  wise  ones  make,  and  the  solu- 
tions they  propose,  might  be  harmless,  if  they 
were  not  put  forth  so  ccoifidently  and  authori- 
tatively as  ultimate  truth,  to  the  confusing  and 
misleading  of  such  as  are  in  an  unstable  state  of 
mind. 

The  question  of  multiple  personality  is  one  of 
the  pets  of  modern  Theosophy,  as  it  is  of  the 
psychic  scientists.  The  glib  talk  about  the  "sub- 
conscious mind,"  the  "subliminal  self,"  the  "su- 


168     Unity  of  Personality  Modern 

perconscious  mind,"  "dual  personality,"  "multi- 
ple personality,"  etc.,  is  a  booster  of,  and,  in- 
deed, a  child  of  spiritism.  It  hides  the  real  agen- 
cies behind  the  phenomena  that  are  credited  to 
the  operations  of  these  various  minds.  One  the- 
ologian, a  former  pastor,  goes  so  far  as  to  pro- 
claim that  the  Godhead  is  simply  a  combination 
of  the  various  minds — the  subconscious,  the  con- 
scious, and  the  superconscious.  He  offers  as  sign 
of  his  calling  to  such  apostleship  the  statement 
that  he  saw  a  light  and  heard  a  voice  bidding 
him  go  forth  in  such  work.  Yet  he  teaches  tlim^s 
that  are  decidedly  dangerous,  and  is  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  God  has  not  called  anyone  to  his 
service  by  a  vision  Or  a  voice  since  the  call  of  the 
apostle  Paul,  who  distinctly  explained  the  mat- 
ter so  that  no  one  need  be  deceived.  The  calls 
of  God  now  are  through  his  word,  and  the  only 
visions  we  are  to  trust  are  the  visions  of  faith. 

Man  is  not  a  dual  or  a  multiple  personality. 
The  singleness,  coherence,  or  unity,  of  self  is  one 
of  the  basic  realities  of  personality.  Complexity 
is  one  thing;  duality  and  multiplicity  are  quite 
other  things.  Unity  may  be  made  up  of  complex 
elements,  while  duality  and  multiplicity  indicate 
more  than  one  complete  whole.  Dual  and  multi- 
l)le  personality  call  for  exorcism,  not  for  scien- 
tific inquiry ;  for  they  are  evidence  of  the  pres- 
ence of  demons  working  in  bodies  they  have  in- 


TiiEosopnY  "Super-Consciousness'^     169 

vaded,  just  as  the  Bible  teaches.  A  kind  of  duah- 
ty  exists  in  the  regenerate  man,  while  the  old  na- 
ture struggles  against  the  "new  man,"  but  that 
is  far  from  being  what  is  meant  by  the  term  in 
psychic  phenomena.  The  old  and  the  new  men, 
in  Christian  experience  are  not  two  entities,  but 
two  states  of  mind  in  the  same  individual,  in  the 
spiritual  sense.  The  personal  identity  is  not  af- 
fected, nor  the  personal  consciousness. 

The  testimony  of  many  persons  as  intelligent, 
-and  some  more  educated  and  skilled,  compared 
with  the  psychic  scientists,  corroborates  the  Bible 
descriptions  regarding  multiple  personality  as 
being  due  to  demonic  possession.  The  strange  in- 
consistencies of  conduct  in  cases  of  dual  or  mul- 
tiple personality  are  due  to  the  fact  that  actually 
different  persons  are  acting  through  the  same 
body.  It  is  no  more  incredulous  that  two  or 
more  personalities  should  occupy  the  same  body 
than  that  two  or  more  people  should  occupy  the 
same  house.  In  explanation  of  Blavatsky's  con- 
stant inconsistencies,  Olcott  advanced  the  theory 
that  she  was  subject  to  the  influences  of  "incar- 
nating entities,"  resulting  in  "double  personality," 
and  producing  the  "second  self"  in  place  of  the 
^'normal  self."  He  was  correct,  but  failed  to 
recognize  the  real  import  of  the  situation. 

The  "super-selves"  or  "super-conscious  minds" 
which    theosophists     say    flood     humans     with 


170     Abnormal  Mental  Activity  Modern 

thoughts  and  feelings  of  an  inspiritional  quaHty 
are  only  their  friends,  the  mahatmas  under  an- 
other mask,  or  other  demons  working  another 
phase  of  the  same  general  delusion.  An  abnor- 
mal mental  activity  accompanies  theosophic  ex- 
perience and  any  other  similar  occult  conditions. 
Some  persons  are  crowded  with  thoughts  until 
they  can  not  rest  without  writing  or  talking  out 
their  inspirations.  The  "urge"  (as  they  call  it, 
or  pressure,  is  from  demons  known  as  "teach- 
ing demons,"  whose  doctrines  are  a  subtle  mix- 
ture that  deceive  almost  the  very  elect,  just  as 
the  Bible  says.  Contradictions  in  theosophic  or 
spiritistic  teachings  reveal,  not  duality  or  multi- 
plicity of  human  personality,  but  the  work  of  dif- 
ferent spirit  teachers  who  disagree  as  much  as 
do  human  teachers,  and,  perhaps  to  some  extent, 
to  intentional  contradictions  for  the  purpose  of 
confusing. 

Christianity  does  not  superimpose  another 
mind  upon  the  human,  nor  substitute  the  human 
by  another,  but  gives  to  the  human  the  original 
Divine  element  or  life  that  was  lost  by  sin.  The 
mind  is  restored  to  its  norm,  not  controlled  by  an 
external  power  working  mechanically.  The  dy- 
namics of  Christianity  are  not  those  of  an  electric 
power-house,  but  the  very  spiritual  power  of 
God's  living  nature  united  with  the  spirit  of  man. 
That  power  is  not  expressed  in  the  phenomena  of 


Theosophy  Chrlslian  Freedom     171 

occultism  or  cheap  spiritism,  but  in  the  right- 
eousness and  holiness  of  men's  hearts  and  con- 
duct. Christians  are  not  passive  mediums  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  many  pious  people  fancy  (and 
so  fall  into  a  snare  of  delusion)  ;  they  are  not 
puppets  pulled  by  invisible  wires  of  spirit  forces ; 
but  they  are  free  people,  children  of  God,  there- 
fore acting  spontaneously  from  the  Divine  nature 
within  themselves. 


And  be  not  conformed  to  this  age,  but  be 
transformed  by  the  renovation  of  your 
mind,  that  you  may  examine  [find  out  by 
experience,  is  the  idea  in  the  Greek  word] 
the  good  and  delightful  and  perfect  will 
of  God.  —Rom.  12:2. 

Having  stripped  off  the  old  man  with  his 
practices,  and  having  put  on  the  new  one, 
which  is  being  restored  into  a  full  knowl- 
edge according  to  the  image  of  him  who 
created  him.  — Col  3:9,10. 


172     LigJit  and  Shadow  Modern 


MAN  OF  SIN  AND  ANTICHRIST 

In  view  of  what  we  have  found  Modern  The- 
osophy  to  be,  we  are  led  to  consider  the  ultimate 
climax  of  evil  in  this  world.  Scripture  teaches 
that,  side  by  side  with  the  growth  of  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven  among  men,  and  even  mingled 
for  a  time  with  its  outward  form,  is  the  develop- 
ment and  ripening  of  the  Kingdom  of  Darkness 
and  of  Hell.  Again  we  have  the  brighter  light 
and  the  deeper  shadows.  The  wider  apart  the 
extremes,  the  greater  the  contrasts.  So  it  is  not 
at  all  strange,  as  many  think,  that  the  evil  in  the 
world  becomes  worse  as  the  good  matures.  It 
is  a  "mystery  of  iniquity'  that  began  to  v/ork  in 
the  days  of  the  apostles,  the  full  expression  of 
which  is  to  come  out  in  the  last  days.  The  par- 
able of  the  wheat  and  tares  sets  it  forth  plainly. 
As  tares  are  an  imitation  wheat,  and,  when 
young,  are  hardly  distinguishable  from  wheat, 
but  must  be  left  until  maturity  before  culling  out, 
so  the  work  of  Satan  is  in  imitation  of  the  work 
of  God,  and  we  need  to  wait  for  some  develop- 
ment before  making  positive  judgement.  In  the 
early  stages  of  false  religions  it  is  so ;  for  the 
very  nature  of  religion  is  such  that  a  common 


TiiEOSOPHY  The  World-Harvest     173 

principle  is  the  basis  of  all.  But  this  is  carried 
too  far,  when  people  say  that  all  religions  are  to 
be  cherished  as  only  adaptations  to  different 
minds,  and  lead  to  the  same  God  and  the  same 
heaven.  In  nothing  else  is  caution  needed  so 
maich  as  in  religion.  God  gave  explicit  instruc- 
tions to  His  church  as  to  how  lo  distinguish 
false  teachers,  and  we  need  to  follow  those  in- 
structions today  as  never  before. 

All  signs  point  to  the  nearness  of  the  world- 
harvest  ;  for  the  ripening  is  far  advanced.  The 
world  is  full  of  humbug  religions — tares  coming 
to  seed.  There  are  cults  outside  and  cliques  in- 
side the  churches,  and  whole  sects  and  denomi- 
nations of  professedly  Christian  churches,  that 
are  positively  of  Satan  and  posing  as  the  world's 
religious  leaders.  In  the  apocalyptic  messages 
of  our  Lord  to  the  churches  of  Asia,  he  indicat- 
ed plainly  that  this  mixed  condition  was  then 
present,  and,  in  case  of  the  church  in  Smyrna,  he 
specified  that  some  there  who  professed  to  be 
God's  people  really  belc-nged  to  the  synagogue 
(or  church)  of  Satan.  In  the  second  chapter 
of  Second  Thessalonians,  Paul  states  that  the 
second  coming  of  Christ  will  be  preceded  by  a 
wide  apostasy  and  the  revealing  of  the  "man  of 
sin,"  the  son  of  destruction,  who  opposes  and 
exalts  himself  above  everything  that  is  called  a 
god  or  an  object  of  worship,  so  that  he  sits  in 


174     Sincerity  vs.  Curiosity  T\Iodern: 

the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is 
Gocl."  He  says  that  the  revelation  of  this  monster 
will  be  in  his  own  season — when  the  culmina- 
tion of  wickedness  shall  have  been  reached.  An- 
tichrist is  to  come  "according  to  the  power  of 
Satan,  with  all  power  and  miracles  and  false 
prodigies,  and  with  every  unrighteous  deceit 
among  those  who  are  destroyed,  because  they  re- 
ceived not  the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  might 
be  saved."  "Showing  himself  that  he  is  God"  in- 
dicates the  practice  of  magic  as  imitation  mira- 
cles ;  for  it  was  by  miracles  that  Jesus  Christ 
showed  himself  to  be  God.  Christianity  puts  the 
love  of  truth  above  curiosity  for  phenomena,  and 
this  item  alone  condemns  the  multitudes  Vv^ho, 
today,  are  running  after  psychic  and  spiritistic 
phenomena,  wdiile  turning  deaf  ears  to  the  word 
of  God.  which  is  truth.  The  v/ay  Blavalsky 
is  extolled  and  the  way  Tingley  exalts  herself 
j^ive  some  intimation  of  how  a  man  may  exalt 
himself  above  everything  called  a  god.  If  Anti- 
christ is  to  be  a  Jew,  as  some  think,  the  way  is 
open  in  the  fact  that  some  Jews  are  taking  up 
with  Theosophy  and  such  cults. 

It  is  plain  that  modern  Thecsophy  is  fulfilling 
a  large  part  of  the  program  that  will  bring  about 
the  fulness  of  iniquity  and  its  ripening  for  the 
harvest  of  destruction.  What  could  better  focus 
the  antichrist  trend  into  a  distinct  personal  Anti- 


Theosopiiy         Concentration  of  Apostasy     175 

Christ,  with  an  apostate  world  at  his  feet,  than 
the  system  which  denies  a  God  above  man, 
makes  man  to  be  his  own  god,  yet  pays  homage 
to  mahatmic  dictators,  in  a  conglomerate  mess 
of  shifty  doctrines  and  a  practice  that  involves 
the  worst  elements  of  all  pagan  superstitions? 
What  could  better  result  in  the  worship  of  a 
world-avatar  representing  a  fictitious  "perfect- 
ed humanity"  claiming  the  rights  and  powers  of 
God? 

Irenseus  said  that  the  Antichrist  will  of  his 
own  accord,  concentrate  in  his  own  person  all 
apostasy.  He  interpreted  the  number  666  to  in- 
dicate "a  summing  up  of  the  whole  of  that  apos- 
tasy which  had  taken  place  during  six  thousand 
years."  This  fits  m.odern  Theosophy  exactly ;  for 
its  exploitation  of  comparative  religion,  its  eclec- 
ticism and  synthesism  of  various  religions,  is  di- 
rectly adatped  to  the  development  of  a  personality 
representing  the  matured  concentration  of  all 
apostasy. 

Iren^us  also  suggested  that  Antichrist  will 
sum  up  in  himself  all  the  elements  of  wickedness 
that  appeared  before  the  flood,  due  to  the  apos- 
tasy of  angels,  and  also  every  error  of  invented 
idolatries  since  the  flood,  including  ail  false  proph- 
ecy and  all  deception.  He  ingeniously  showed 
how  the  number  666  may  indicate  the  full  re- 
capitulation of  apostasy  and  wickedness  through- 


176     The  Pope  Not  Antichrisf  Moderist 

out  all  history — which  closely  fits  modern  The- 
osophy. 

Some  theologians  have  found  in  the  Pope  of 
Rome  the  predicted  Antichrist,  and  have  gcoie  to 
some  length  in  detailed  evidences  of  the  fit.  But 
they  seem  to  have  overlooked  the  specially  indi- 
cated mark  of  the  Antichrist.  The  apostle  John 
specifically  states  that  th^  chief  characteristic,  the 
distinguishing  mark,  of  Antichrist  is  the  denial 
of  the  lasting  incarnation  of  Christ  in  human 
form.  That  denial  has  assumed  different  aspects. 
and  was  already  finding  expression  while  the 
apostle  was  still  living  on  earth.  Whether  it  be 
denial  of  the  original  incarnaticn,  as  in  the  Gnos- 
tic doctrine  of  phantasmal  manifestations,  or  de- 
nial of  the  second  coming  of  Christ  in  the  body, 
it  matters  little ;  for  in  either  case  it  is  a  repudia- 
tion of  the  actual  and  permanent  union  of  the 
Divine  and  human  natures  in  Jesus  Christ.  Until 
it  can  be  shown  that  the  Pope  represents  and  per- 
sonally expresses  Gnostic  or  Theosophic  or  simi- 
lar doctrine  it  is  quite  out  of  order  to  identify 
him  with  the  Antichrist,  however  much  he  or  his 
system  of  religion    perverts  the  Christian  way. 

That  the  Pope  is  not  the  Antichrist  is  plain 
from  the  Scripture  vv'hich  represents  the  Roman 
church  as  the  harlot,  not  denying,  but  unfaithful 
to,  her  heavenly  Betrothed,  Jesus  Christ.  She  is 
to  be  destroyed,  and  then  the  nations  turn  and 


TiiEOSOPiiY  Prophetic  Descriptions     \77 

give  their  allegiance  to  the  Beast,  and  worship 
the  Antichrist,  who  takes  the  place  of  the  harlot 
church.  In  the  violence  of  his  recoil  against  the 
corruptions  of  Rome,  Martin  Luther  went  to  an 
unwarranted  extreme  in  declaring  the  Pope  to 
be  Antichrist,  and  others  have  followed  his  mis- 
lead. 

Interpretations  of  prophecy  made  prior  to  the 
birth  of  ^•.lodern  Theosophy  have  described  the 
situation  of  the  last  days  and  the  personality  of 
Antichrist  in  terms  that  seem  to  have  been  direct 
anticipations  of  the  theosophic  movement.  For  in- 
stance, in  his  Lectures  on  the  Apocalypse  [Vol.  2, 
Lecture  XXXII],  prepared  before  modern  the- 
osophy was  put  before  the  world,  Joseph  A. 
Seiss  described  as  the  coming  religion  of  the 
prophet  of  Antichrist  the  very  system  v/e  are 
discussing.  The  writer  hereof  never  read  that 
lecture  until  after  this  manuscript  had  been  pre- 
pared. In  commenting  on  Rev.  13:11,  12,  the 
lecture  refers  to  the  fact  that  religions  have  all 
involved  two  elements  of  influence,  both  natural- 
ism and  supernaturalism,  and  says  of  the  Beast- 
Prophet  who  supports  the  Antichrist: 

He  has  two  horns,  hence  the  two  powers  in  a  reli'?- 
ion;  therefore  he  is  at  once  a  naturalist  and  a  su- 
pernaturalist— a  scientist  and  a  spiritualist— a  Ra^ 
tional]St,  yet  asserting  power  above  ordinan-  na- 
.  ture  and  in  command  of  nature.  In  other  words, 
he   claims    to   be   the   bearer   of   the    sum   total    of 


178    A  Fitting  Picture  Modern 

the  Universal  Wisdom,  in  which  all  reason  and 
all  revelation  are  fused  into  one  great  system, 
claimed  to  be  the  ultimatum  of  all  truth,  the  sub- 
lime and  absolute  Universeolog^^  And  profess- 
ing to  have  everything  natural  and  supernatural 
thus  solved  and  chrystallized  as  the  one  eternal 
and  perfect  Wisdom,  he  must  necessarily  present 
himself  as  the  one  absolute  apostle  and  teacher  of 
all  that  ought  to  command  the  thought,  faith,  and 
obedience  of  man. 

Referring-  to  the  Beast-Prophet  as  having  lamb- 
like horns,  but  a  dragon-like  voice,  Seiss  says : 

He  is  lamb-like  in  that  he  proposes  to  occupy  only 
the  mild,  domestic,  and  inoffensive  position  of 
spiritual  adviser.  What  more  gentle  and  innocent 
than  the  counselling  of  people  how  to  live  and  act, 
for  the  securement  of  their  happiness !  But  the 
words  are  like  the  Dragon,  in  that  such  profes- 
sions and  claims  are  in  fact  the  assumption  of 
absolute  dominion  over  the  minds,  souls,  con- 
sciences, and  hearts,  of  men,  to  bind  them  irre- 
vocabh,  and  to  compel  them  to  think  and  act 
only  as  he  who  m.akes  them  shall  dictate  and  pre- 
scribe. Only  to  the  eternal  God  belongs  such  pow- 
er; and  when  claimed  by  a  creature,  is,  indeed,  the 
speech  of  the  Devil,  the  spell  of  hell  usurping  the 
place  and  ijrcrogatives  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Could  any  description  better  fit  modern  the- 
osophy,  in  its  pretentions  and  in  its  realities? 
vSurely,  Seiss  had  the  prophetic  sense  and  per- 
ception, if  not  inspiration,  to  enable  him  to  so 
closely  describe  in  advance  a  system  of  preten- 
tious religion  that,  in  every  particular,  is  fulfilled 
in  modern  theosophy. 

By  thus  quoting,  it  is  not  meant  to  endorse  all  that  Seiss  wrote. 


TiiEOSOPHY  Other  Anticipations     179 

In  Christianity  and  Anti-Christianity  in  Their 
Final  Conflict,  by  S.  J.  Andrews  [In  A.  D.  1898], 
are  several  statements  which  also  apply  in  like 
manner  to  this  topic.  From  the  Preface  we 
quote : 

He  who  seats  himself  in  the  temple  of  God  "show- 
ing himself  that  he  is  God"  (II  Thess.  2),  is  not,  as 
13  often  said,  one  who  compels  the  world  to  pay 
him  Divine  homage  b^^  brute  violence ;  it  is  done 
voluntarily.  That  he  can  present  himself  to  men 
as  the  object  of  Divine  honor,  and  receive  it, 
shows  a  community  of  belief  already  existing  be- 
tween him  and  his  worshippers.  They  see  in 
him  the  representative  of  their  own  religious  ideas. 
He  will  not  come  as  a  spectre  of  the  night,  but 
as  an  angel  of  light,  the  morning  star  of  a  new 
day  [just  as  theosophy  professes  to  do]  ;  and  the 
age  that  will  welcome  and  worship  him  will  not 
think  itself  irreligious,  but  the  most  religious  of 
all  the  ages.  In  him  the  modern  spirit  will  find 
its  truest  representative  and  exponent.  We  may 
believe  that  he  will  be  regarded  by  his  generation 
as  the  highest  type  of  our  developed  humanity, 
the  noblest  emibodiment  of  its  dignity,  its  "con- 
sum.raate  flower."  He  will  be  recognized  as  a 
natural  king  of  men,  and  his  kingdom,  rising 
grandly  before  the  world,  will  be  welcomed  as  the 
full  evolution  of  the  democratic  idea,  the  realiza- 
tion of  popular  aspirations,  the  end  of  social  strife, 
the  unity  of  nations,  the  natural  outcome  and  high- 
est product  of  our  civilization,  and  the  goal  of 
human  history.  It  will  be  welcomed  by  the  mul- 
titude as  the  long-promised  "Kingdom  of  God." 
This  man  and  his  kingdom  are  not  the  accidents 
of    an   hour,   there   is   a  long   preparatory   process. 

From  the  Introduction  we  quote : 


180     Burlesque  Incarnation  Modern 

For  the  Messianic  kingdom  he  [Antichrist]  will  sub- 
stitute an  earthly  kingdom,  the  elements  of  which 
will  be  fraternity,  liberty,  equality,  and  in  which 
will  be  the  highest  development  of  man.  It  is 
here  that  he  offers  himself  as  a  substitute  for 
Christ, 

How  well  do  these  quotations  fit  modern  the- 
osophy  as  the  forerunner  of  Antichrist!  The 
book  shows  several  influences  at  work  in  the 
same  direction,  under  different  names,  but  what 
we  have  found  in  theosophy  places  it  in  the  lead 
of  all.  The  personal  Antichrist,  it  is  evident,  is  to 
be  an  incarnation  of  Satan,  in  imitation  and 
burlesque  of  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God. 
Who  could  better  fill  such  a  place  than  the  off- 
spring of  a  theosophic  pair,  each  possessed  by 
Satan,  as  we  have  seen  to  be  possible,  and  ful- 
filling the  mission  of  the  free-love  affinity  doc- 
trine? If  not  Antichrist  himself,  such  an  one 
might  be  his  prophet,  his  John  Baptist — the 
"Twelfth  Messiah"  so  confidently  predicted  by 
thcosophists  as  soon  to  appear.  Women  of  the 
inner  circle  of  the  sun-worshipping  degree  of  the 
modern  oriental  cult  are  taught  that  one  of  them 
is  to  be  the  mother  of  this  pseudo-Messiah,  By 
what  father,  it  is  not  stated,  but  one  may  prop- 
erly infer  that  it  may  be  one  of  the  "affinity" 
freelovers  of  the  cult.  Such  an  offspring  would, 
indeed,  have  wisdom,  cunning,  power — those  of 
the  Devil  himself.     He  would  have  the  fascinat- 


Thkosophy  The  ''Lazvlcss  One"     181 

ing  beauty  and  persuasiveness  of  an  angel  of 
light.  He  would  be  a  polished  gentleman ;  a  dip- 
lomat, tolerant  in  pretense,  but  imperious  in  his 
hold  upon  men's  devotion ;  versatile,  yet  holding 
to  one  purpose  of  making  all  things  to  mock- 
God ;  prefessing  to  let  every  man  choose  and 
determine  his  own  way,  yet  unrelenting  in  tyran- 
ny through  deceptic-n;  begotten  in  defiance  of 
law%  he  will  be  the  ''lawless  one".  Being  under 
delusion,  the  world  will  wonder,  exalt  and  wor- 
ship. But  God's  people  will  suffer  for  a  little 
while,  yet  resting  in  the  assurance  that  their  Lord 
will  come  v/ith  deliverance  and  with  reward  unto 
all  who  endure  and  overcome.  The  fascinations 
and  deceptions  of  modern  theosophy  call  for  ear- 
nest watching  and  resisting,  but  read  : 

He  who  conquers,  even  he  v^ho  keeps  my  works  to 
the    end,    I    will    give    to    him    authority    over    the 
'^^       nations    (Rev.  2:2,6). 

Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patient  en- 
durance, I  also  will  keep  thee  from  that  hour  of 
trial  v/hich  is  about  to  come  on  the  whole  earth, 
to  try  those  who  dwell  on  the  earth.  I  am  com- 
ing speedily;  hold  fast  what  thou  hast,  so  that 
no  one  may  take  thy  crown.  The  conqueror,  I 
will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God, 
and  he  shall  never  go  out  more;  and  I  will  write 
on  him  the  name  of  my  God,  the  new  Jerusalem, 
that  Cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God: 
aiid  my  new  name   (Rev.  3:10-12^ 


182     IVarning  and  Assurance  Modern 


CONCLUSION 

The  messages  of  the  Lord  to  the  Asian 
churches,  from  which  the  above  quotations  are 
taken,  apply  today ;  for  those  churches  were  rep- 
resentative and  their  experiences  were  typical. 
With  all  the  variations  of  outward  circumstances, 
principles  do  not  change.  The  atmosphere  of 
subtle  dangers,  as  well  as  of  open  hostilitiesv, 
that  surrounded  the  early  churches  still  continues 
to  menace  Christ's  people.  The  same  warning 
and  exhortation  and  assurance  that  applied  then 
apply  now.  As  the  churches  were  to  some  ex- 
tent infected  then,  so  they  are  now.  In  this  book 
we  have  not  only  exposed  the  evils  of  a  false 
religion,  but  have  incidentally  noted  certain 
wrong  conditions  in  the  churches  that  have  been 
allies  of  the  spiritistic  propaganda,  helping  it  to 
an  insidious  influence  it  never  would  have  ex- 
ercised but  for  the  pernicious  perversions  within 
them.  But,  in  such  criticisms  and  warnings  there 
is  only  the  effort  of  kindness  to  help,  not  the 
antagonism  of  sensoriousness.  When  the  Lord 
walked  among  the  candlesticks  he  observed  both 
the  evil  and  the  good,  and  his  messages  contained 
both  criticism  and  commendation.    To  ignore  or 


Theosophy  Dangerous  Ignorance     183 

reject  the  criticisms,  was  to  invite  the  departure 
of  the  Spirit  frcin  the  churches.  The  tendency 
today  is  to  resent  all  criticism,  with  the  result 
that  many  are  left  to  the  devices  of  deceiving 
powers.  It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  whatever  of 
evil  this  book  points  out  as  being  within  the 
churches  will  be  carefully  considered  and  ap- 
propriately acted  upon.  Only  as  we  keep  fast 
the  word  of  God,  give  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
[which  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy],  and  abide  un- 
der the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  can  we 
endure  amid  the  hostilities  of  the  powers  of  dark 
deceptions,  and  overcome  unto  glorious  victory. 
As  Judaizers  sought  to  nullify  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  by  insidious  combinations  Vv^ith  legal- 
ism, so  Gentile  teachers  have  sought  to  pervert  it 
by  pagan  interpretations.  If  the  history  of  here- 
sy were  taught  in  our  churches,  it  wculd  be  a 
great  help  in  preserving  the  sincerity  of  the 
truth ;  for  ignorance  of  the  enemy  makes  people 
easy  victims.  Modern  cults  of  delusion  have 
their  power  because  of  the  lack  of  knowledge  in 
spiritual  things  among  the  people.  Only  in  the 
presence  of  the  light  of  exposure  do  the  workers 
of  darkness  flee.  We  have  in  only  fragmentary 
measure,  considered  the  Whence  ?  the  What  ?  and 
the  Whither?  of  one  of  the  most  subtle  and  pre- 
tentious cults  of  diabolism  ever  invented.  May 
the  showing    be   useful,   not  merely    gratifying 


184     Which  Was  to  he  Proven  Modern 

curiosity,  but  supplying  information  that  may 
serve  for  defense  and  for  use  in  helping  to  dis- 
suade others  from  venturing  into  the  snare.  In 
such  a  dangerous  thing,  the  only  safety  is  in  re- 
fusing to  take  the  first  nibble  at  the  bait. 

Some  say  we  should  ignore  such  fad  cults, 
letting  them  simply  pass  away  when  they  have 
run  their  course.  But  God  never  gave  such 
advice.  We  are  to  withstand  falsehood,  and  con- 
tend for  the  truth.  We  are  to  give  warning,  and 
expose  the  wiles  of  the  Devil.  It  is  because  of 
ignorance  of  Satan's  devices  that  many  are  led 
into  destruction.  Never  was  clear  instruction  in 
truth  more  needed  than  now. 

In  criticism  and  refutation  of  certain  of  Jacob 
Boehm's  (or  Behmien  as  sometimes  written) 
theosophical  output,  John  Wesley  said  he  consid- 
ered him  to  be  a  demonosopher,  rather  than  a 
theosopher.  Has  not  our  study  proven  that 
Modern  Thcosophy  is  really  up-to-date  demon- 
osophy?  Q.  E.  D. 


Could  anything  be  more  diabolical  than  the  use 
of  the  word  Theosophy,  meaning  "God-wisdom," 
to  designate  so  vile  a  system  as  we  unmask  ? 


TriEOSOPiiY  Strange  Experiences     135 


APPENDIX 


A  BIT  OF  PERSONAL  TESTIMONY 

There  is  some  hesitation  to  bring  personal  experience 
into  public  discussion,  yet  it  is  sometimes  useful  in 
making  clear  a  point,  and,  especially,  in  helping  any  who 
may  be  in  perplexity  from  peculiar  conditions  that  puz- 
zle them  by  the  assurance  that  they  are  not  alone  and 
may  find  the  same  w^y  out  of  the  tangle.  From  earli- 
est childhood,  I  have  been  troubled  with  strange 
psychic  experiences  that  I  did  not  fully  understand 
until  making  the  serious  investigations  which  have  re- 
sulted in  this  book  and  other  writings.  In  resisting 
ps3^chic  promptings  and  holding  to  the  explicit  w'ord 
of  God,  I  have  for  manj^  years  suffered  a  living  mar- 
tyrdom of  persecution  from  the  evil  pov/ers  beside 
v/hich  the  swift  physical  m.artyrdom.  of  early  Chris- 
tians m.ust  have  been  a  pleasure.  For  thirty  years,  I 
have  known  but  few  hours  of  consecutive  time  free 
from  pain  and  other  suffering,  for  j^ears  so  acute  that 
it  seemed  that  it  could  not  be  endured  a  moment  long- 
er. Yet.  amid  it  all  I  have  done  the  Vv^ork  of  tv.^o  men, 
and  can  testify  that  His  strength  is  perfected  in  weak- 
ness. 

So,  what  I  say  on  this  topic  is  not  idle  words.  In 
the  Christian  life,  we  are  to  expect  strange  experiences 
from  the  assaults  of  spirit  enemies — "fiery  darts"  the 
apostle  calls  some  of  them.  But  there  is  too  little 
definite  instruction  given  in  these  days  as  to  how  these 
may  come,  so  that  we  do  not  properly  recognize  them, 
or  know  how  to  meet  them.  The  tendency  of  the 
day   is   to   deny   the   interference,   and   even   the   exist- 


186    Psychic  Consciousness  Modern 

ence,  of  evil  spirits.  So  people  are  ashamed  to  tell 
of  their  strange  personal  experiences,  lest  they  be  ac- 
cused of  fault.  It  is  a  sign  of  the  delusions  warned  of 
in  Scripture,  when  people  deny  the  presence  and  work- 
ing of  evil  powers.  It  is  a  good  sign,  not  a  bad  one, 
when  really  Christian  people  have  strange  struggles 
with  invisible  foes — it  is  to  be  expected  that  enemies 
will  attack.  This  is  a  word  for  the  encouragement  of 
any  reader  who  may  be  tried  in  such  ways.  Just  over- 
come by  holding  fast  ycur  faith  in  the  power  of  Christ 
to   give  victory  and  deliverance. 

When  a  young  man  of  twenty-four,  I  was  pastor 
of  a  Methodist  country  circuit  with  four  "charges,"  as 
they  were  called.  One  day,  when  walking  from  one 
charge  to  another,  through  the  native  woods,  while 
crossing  a  certain  open  spot  never  before  passed, 
a  sudden  flash  of  recollection  came  into  my  mind  of 
having  been  in  that  verv  place  at  some  time  long 
past.  Yet  it  was  a  new  path,  and  I  had  been  in  that 
neighborhood  but  a  short  time.  In  that  circuit  were 
certain  families  of  spiritists  that  showed  consider- 
able interest  in,  and  friendliness  for  me.  At  the  time 
I  did  not  think  of  any  special  significance,  but 
later  developments  showed  that  there  was  a  reason, 
namely,  to  entrap  me  into  spiritism;  for  my  temper- 
ament, with  uninformed  piety,  would  have  made  me 
a  good  medium.  Passing  over  more  than  twenty 
years  filled  with  strange  things,  at  the  time  I  v/as 
beginning  to  make  special  investigation  of  Modern 
Theosophy,  compelled  by  special  circumstances,  I 
was  working  at  my  desk  in  one  of  the  Government 
offices  in  the  City  of  Washington,  one  day,  when  a 
sudden  and  very  strong  flash  of  unnatural  con- 
sciousness came  into  my  mind.  I  distinctly  saw  and 
felt  myself  in  India,  squatting  on  a  sandy  place  as  a 
Hindu  yogi.  A  peculiar  soft  warmth  of  atmosphere, 
and  a  strange  brightness  of  sunlight  mingled  with  a 
dreamy  haziness  seemed  to  fit  the  situation.    It  was  a 


Theosophy  Psychic  Intcllccfion     187 

perfect  picture  and  a  clearly  definite  consciousness, 
I  at  once  recognized  the  meaning  of  it,  and  fought  it 
off.  It  all  happened  in  an  instant,  yet  would  have 
continued  longer,  had  I  encouraged  it.  A  few  years 
later,  I  met  a  Methodist  minister  whcf  had  spent 
twelve  years  as  a  missionary  in  India,  to  whom  I 
related  that  experience.  He  said  that  the  description 
well  fitted  the  actual  conditions  in  that  country,  and 
he  recognized  the  meaning  of  it.  Not  long  after  that 
experience,  I  was  riding  in  a  street-car  in  the  same 
city.  Just  as  we  were  going  past  a  certain  point  a 
flash  of  consciousness  came  to  me  in  which  I  seem- 
ed to  be  back  in  ancient  Rome.  For  the  instant, 
I  was  a  Roman  citizen  with  all  the  consciousness 
that  implied.  As  before,  so  then,  I  fought  it  off. 
These  are  only  samples  of  many  such  experiences 
that  have  come  to  me  unsought. 

Were  these  memories  of  actual  former  incarna- 
tions? Are  these  experiences  a  suitable  basis  for 
teaching  the  doctrine  of  reincarnation?  Theosophy 
says  they  are.  How  about  the  scientists,  with  their 
race-consciousness?  Now  I  was  definitely  aware  of 
the  source  of  the  unusual  feelings,  and  the  peculiar  kind 
of  intellection  that  accompanied,  just  as  I  am  defi- 
nitely conscious  when  in  the  presence  of  one  who  is 
in  an  epileptic  fit  of  the  agency  of  an  invading  spirit, 
just  as  the  Bible  states.  There  is  a  distinct  differ- 
ence between  thinking  that  is  voluntary  and  of  one's 
own  reason,  and  that  which  is  involuntary,  accom- 
panying a  psychic  disturbance.  Psychic  intellection 
is  simply  a  consciousness  that  seems  to  come  from 
subtle  feeling,  accompanied  with  a  more  or  less 
passive  state  of  the  real  mind.  It  is  in  the  psychic 
element,  closely  connected  with  the  nervous  system, 
that  obsessing  spirits  do  their  work,  first  by  a  pro- 
cess of  hypnosis,  and,  if  admitted,  later  by  actual 
possession.  This  is  a  hint  of  the  real  meaning  of 
all  spiritism.  It  is  in  accord  with  Scripture,  which 
distinguishes  between  the  psychical  and  the  spiritual. 


188     Wisdom  of  Jesus  Modern 


JESUS  NOT  AN  ESSENE 

The  claim  b}^  Theosophists  that  Jesus  was  an  Esscne 
is  entirely 'without  foundation,  and  contrary  to  all  in- 
dications. During  the  years  when  they  sa^  he  was 
with  the  Essenes  he  was  with  his  parents,  obedient  ac- 
cording to  the  Jewish  law;  for  he  was  "born  under  the 
law,"  and  obe3'ed  it  to  the  letter.  The  law  required  sons 
to  be  subject  to  their  parents  until  thirty  years  of  age, 
before  undertaking  any  public  office  or  work.  Instead 
of  being  away  from  home  and  in  a  monastic  community 
studying  esoterism  and  occultism,  Jesus  did  not  study 
with  anybody.  "How  does  this  man  know  wisdom, 
never  having  learned?  Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  son, 
and  are  not  his  brethcrn  and  sisters  with  us?"  asked 
his  astonished  townspeople  when  they  heard  him  teach. 
They  had  known  him  as  a  quiet,  unpretentious  home- 
body, and  were  unable  to  account  for  his  unnatural 
wisdom,  which  w^as  not  acquired  at  schools,  but  which 
was  within  himself  as  Son  of  God.  To  his  human  con- 
sciousness, that  wisdom  was  unfolded  gradually,  but  it 
came  direct  from  the  Father,  as  he  declared.  He  did 
not  bear  witness  of  himself  or  of  doctrines  he  had 
learned  from  men,  but  of  the  truth  he  received  from  the 
Father. 

Jesus  was  full  of  grace  and  truth  by  virtue  of  the 
Godhead,  whose  fulness  dwelt  in  him.  And,  like  a 
wise  teacher,  he  unfolded  the  truth  gradually  to  his 
disciples  as  their  limitations  were  able  to  receive. 
God  is  no  magician,  violating  human  nature  by  sudden 
manifestations  of  truth  that  startle  and  confuse.  His 
conquest  of  the  world,  and  of  individuals,  is  not  by 
waving  a  wand  and  saying  "Presto,"  but  by  the  normal 
process  of  teaching  truth.  Jesus  had  no  need  of  the 
Essenic  mysteries  in  his  teaching,  nor  of  the  magic 
of  occultism;  for  he  did  no  violence  to  the  mind  of 
man,  created  in  the  likeness  of  God.  If  Jesus  had  been 
with  the  Essenes,  his  neighbors  would  have  known  it. 


Theosophy  Lure  to  Passivity     189 

But  modern  theosophists  have  access  to  the  "astral 
records"  which  refute  the  testimony  of  eyewitnesses — 
witnesses  who  were  peculiarly  disposed  to  accuse  him 
of  being  an  Essene,  if  there  were  the  least  basis  for 
such  a  charge.  The  theosophic  claim  is  without  ele- 
mental common-sense. 


"THE  SILENCE" 

Much  is  said,  in  "New  Thought"  even  more  than  in 
Theosophy,  about  "entering  the  silence"  as  a  spiritual 
exercise.  Normally  applied,  this  is  all  right,  but  as 
used  in  these  cults  it  is  only  a  means  for  putting  one's 
self  in  the  way  of  self-fascination  and  in  the  yet  more 
dangerous  path  of  deceiving  spirits  who  play  upon  the 
subjective  feelings  of  people.  Some  experimenters  in 
hypnotism  make  use  of  an  artfully  devised  "silence 
chamber"  by  having  the  room  soft-carpeted;  the 
furniture  guarded  by  rubber  bearings;  with  a  mild  and 
soothing  temperature;  the  windov/s  shaded  so  as  to 
produce  a  "dim  religious  light"  effect,  etc.  Such 
things  give  an  air  of  mystery,  appealing  to  ?u.perstitlon 
and  favoring  an  introspective  attitude  of  mind.  The 
result  is  a  state  of  passivity  important  in  hypnosis. 
One  of  the  practices  of  new-thoughters.  when  "going  in- 
to the  silence,"  is  to  fix  the  gaze  upon  the  nose— one 
of  the  regular  m.ethods  of  self-hypnosis.  This  is  used 
by  Hindu  fakirs  to  produce  trance  conditions.  Some 
practitioners  of  occultism  burn  incense  in  the  room 
just  before  a  sitting,  or  seance,  in  order  to  produce  a 
soothing  effect  upon  the  nerves  of  subjects,  m:aking 
them  more  passive  to  influence. 

The  rector  of  an  Episcopalian  church  in  the  city  where 
the  writer  lived  when  working  on  this  manuscript 
started  a  new  m.ovement  in  his  parish,  which  he  called 
*'Churchly  Quaker  Meetings,"  or  "Corporate  Closets," 
for   "corporate   silent  prayer."     The   plan   was    for   all 


190     Enchanfmenf  in  Churches        ..      Modern 

who  wished — Christians,  Jews,  Cathoh'cs,  Protestants; 
high  and  low  churchmen,  Quakers,  Theosophists  (by 
some  oversight  not  including  Mormons  and  Moham- 
medans!)— to  come  together  at  the  church,  enter 
"silently  and  softly/'  work  themselves  into  a  passive 
state  by  auto-hypnosis  (by  "saying  together  the  'Our 
Father'  with  great  deliberation  and  intention  to  realize 
God's  Fatherhood  and  our  Brotherhood  in  Him,  and 
then  go  into  the  silence")  and  thus  worship  a  Some- 
thing that  has  no  Lord  Jesus  Christ  about  it ! !  The  in- 
structions continue: 

Sitting  or  kneeling,  disposing  the  body  so  as  to  most 
easily  forget  its  existence — perhaps  breathing  deeply 
a  few  times  so  as  to  attain  bodily  restfulness  [pas- 
sivity, really],  the  first  stage  is  that  of  The  Stilling.. 
..Then,  The  Listening.  Listening!  not  intellectual 
meditation,  but  openness  of  ear  to  God's  voice  and 
openness  of  eye  to  the  inner  light  and  of  heart  to  the 

inner  witness Then,  The  Self -Surrender.  'Not  my 

will,  but  thine  be  done.'  Trust  in  God's  guidance- 
Thanksgiving  for  his  felt  presence. 

Paganism  refined  by  Twentieth  Century  culture!  En- 
chantment applied  to  perverted  Christianity !  All  the 
settings  for  a  seance  with  demons !  In  a  church  that 
boasts  apostolic  succession !  This  movement  saw  the 
light  first  in  New  Zealand,  where  some  Quakers  (a 
mildly  spiritistic  sect)  were  allowed  to  use  a  parish 
church  for  their  meetings.  The  rector  and  some  of 
the  members,  together  with  Theosophists,  joined  in  the 
meetings.  The  result  was  so  [delusively]  delicious  in 
spiritual  [?]  uplift,  that  the  arrangement  was  contin- 
ued, and  the  plan  was  published  abroad.  Now  it  is 
being  followed  by  high-churchmen  in  England,  who  re- 
gard it  a  wonderful  levival  of  spirituality  to  keep  com- 
pany with,  and  relieve  the  deadness  of,  their  formal 
sacramental  services.  Those  who  read  this  book  un- 
derstandingly  will  see  the  delusion  and  snare  in  this 
apparently   pious    movement.      But    the    rector    of    that 


Thi«a  rector  w>s  James  M.  Srerrett.  who  carrmitted 
suicide  in  1923,  weakened  b>  pmcuce  ol  passivity. 


Theosophy  Fascinating  the  Emotions     191 

Washington  church  could  not  see  the  danger  when  it 
was  pointed  out  to  him.  So  do  men  prefer  darkness 
to  light! 


THE  DRAMA 


Fascination  is  back  of  the  drama,  which  is  a  living- 
talking-picture  of  events  made  to  play  upon  the  sen- 
sibilities of  spectators.  There  is  an  element  of  fascina- 
tion in  pictures — they  appeal  to  the  imagination.  The 
drama  originated  as  a  feature  of  the  ancient  Pagan 
Mysteries,  expressly  to  impress,  or  fascinate.  Refer- 
ring to  ancient  Greek  drama  as  a  teacher  of  life- 
mysteries,  Catherine  Tingley  says  : 

Then,  as  today,  to  nothing  did  the  masses  respond 
more  quickly  than  to  truth  in  symbolic  form,  to 
music,  to  sculpture,  the  temple  frescoes,  the  temple 
processionals,  and  the  Mystery  Drama. 

As  the  mass^es  are  carnal  and  lost  in  sin,  their  judg- 
ment is  hardly  to  be  taken  as  an  indication  of  what  is 
right  in  spiritual  things.  Psychological  appeal  is  by  no 
means  spiritual  appeal.  Augustine,  who  had  been  an 
ardent  devotee  of  the  theatre,  was  much  opposed  to  it 
after  his  conversion.  He  declared  it  useless  as  a  teach- 
er of  trutli,  and  showed  that  its  appeal  is  not  to  the 
conscience  and  reason,  but  to  the  emotions.  A  whole 
audience  will  often  weep  over  some  pathetic  scene  on  a 
stage,  teaching  a  "lesson,"  because  of  rapport  with  an 
actor,  not  because  conscience  is  responsive  in  repentance. 
People  go  away  and  live  as  before,  even  more  hardened 
in  the  reaction  of  feelings  excited  without  the  awaken- 
ing of  the  spirit.  The  emotion  was  only  a  momicntary 
fascination,  without  any  power  unto  righteousness. 
This  is  true  now  of  all  artificial  schemes  to  draw  and 
impress  people.  The  picturesque  and  dramatic  enter- 
tain, but  do  not  convict.    "Successful"  revival  meetings 


192     Dramatizing  Religion  Finis 

that  only  stir  up  temporary  response  through  emotional 
incitement  by  dramatic  or  spectacular  appeals  may  prop- 
erly be  labeled  "Successful  Seances." 

Elocution  is  only  a  trick  of  imitative  eloquence  that 
seeks  to  impress  by  fascination^  rather  than  to  instruct 
for  intelligent  conduct.  The  vociferous  bellowings 
of  an  ignorant  and  excited  preaclier  can  stir  an  audience 
to  pious  frenzy  with  empty  words,  but  not  to  enduring- 
righteousness.  The  sing-song  voice  and  swaying  body 
of  an  ignorant  "res^ivalist"  can  secure  hypnotic  re- 
sponse to  the  complete  "filling  of  the  altar,"  but  his 
hearers  keep  on  living  as  before. 

Ancient  teachers,  including  Jesus  Christ,  sat  down 
while  they  addressed  audiences.  They  were  not  actors,: 
nor  dramatic  orators,  nor  elocutionary  ranters,  nor 
acrobatic  performers*.  Truth  needs  no  such  support. 
Truth  is  of  integrity,  and  integrity  makes  no  display  of 
itself,  and  needs  no  tricks  to  emphasize  it.  It  was  the 
pagan  Greek  orators  and  dramatists  who  made  such 
ado  over  "action"  as  the  essential  element  in  forceful 
address.  A  prominent  writer  on  music  has  said  that 
gesticulation  is  the  first  stage  of  the  dance,  and  the 
dance  is  certainly  carnal.  At  its  best,  gesticulation  is 
psychic  and  not  spiritual  in  its  appeal.  In  the  long 
run,  tricks  and  trappings  of  oratory  and  drama  fail 
as  Gospel  adjuncts.  The  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  the 
plain  and  simple  preaching  of  the  word  of  God,  not  the 
schemes  of  men.  Churches  that  dramatize  religion  and 
indulge  in  pageantry  thereby  confess  their  lack  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  seek  to  get  results  from  substituted 
pS3^chic  appeals. 


In  simplicity  and  sincerity  of  God,  not  in  fleshly 
wisdom  [artful,  beguiling,  ensnaring]  but  by  the 
grace  of  God,  we  have  conducted  ourselves  in  the 
world.  —II  CoRiNTiiiANvS  1:12. 


Date  Due 

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